He Loves me, He Loves Me Not
by Lilly Winters
Summary: Everything is perfect: the Rowdyruff Boys and the Powerpuff Girls have saved the day and the world. All seems to be going well, but that all changes when Ace shows up. Will Butch shrug it off, or will jealousy consume him? Sequal to Truth or Dare?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**I got to work right away on the sequel! I hope you like it! It begins right where Truth or Dare ended. Enjoy and Review!**

**I do NOT own the Powerpuff Girls, etc. **

**Previously, from Truth or Dare…**

_Blossom smiled and nodded. "Townsville is saved and now all that it left is to wait for the repairs on the city to be finished. I guess now we can, dare I say it, relax! Right guys? Um…?" She stared at Buttercup whose mouth scraped the ground in shock. She waved her hand in front of her dazed sister. "Buttercup?" Turning, she too gasped when she saw just what, actually who, she was looking at._

_The sun caught hold of the black shades and reflected off, casting a glimmering burst of colors into the air. With hands stuffed in the pockets of his infamous jacket, Ace smiled to reveal fangs as he slid the sunglasses down and eyed the group. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"_

Buttercup curled her hands into a fist. "What are you doing here?"

"Me and the boys just thought we'd thank you," Ace smirked.

"Huh?" Blossom asked.

"Really?" Bubbles squeaked.

Buttercup's hands dropped hopelessly. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No, really. You savin' the world and all. That's good. I mean, without a world, there wouldn't be any more crime right?" he laughed and then shook his head. "But seriously, all joking aside." He stepped forward and winked at them. "Thank you, Powerpuff Girls, for saving the day _and_ the world."

Butch saw him smile at Buttercup directly and blinked in confusion, stepping protectively in front of her. In the process, he accidentally stepped on her foot. She elbowed him off.

"I must say, I was a bit surprised to see you guys here," he said to the Rowdyruff Boys.

"What do you mean?" Boomer asked.

"Aren't you enemies and all?"

"We used to be," he beamed at Bubbles who giggled.

"Besides," Brick smirked, "that never stopped Buttercup from falling in love with you years ago." Butch stared questionably at Buttercup.

"Brick!" she hissed, but Ace waved it off.

"Water under the bridge. I got to get back to the Gang. Adios." He casually walked away before glancing back. "Oh, yeah. That reminds me. We're taking a break from the crime for a while. Just relaxin' for once."

"Why would you do that?" Blossom interrogated.

"It could have something to do with the fact that the world almost ended yesterday," he chuckled. "I guess you could say it gave us a new sense of life, a new purpose. But don't worry," his fangs glistened in the sun as he smiled mischievously, "this isn't the last you've seen of the Gangreen Gang."

They watched the remainder of the Gang join up with him before they departed the zoo completely. The Girls and the Boys walked the opposite direction.

"What was all that about?" Buttercup huffed.

Bubbles shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he meant what he said. Maybe when the world almost ended, he saw how wrong their actions really were."

"Yeah, and Mojo isn't an insane creep who has way too much power on his side. Get real, Bubbles," she snapped. "Ace is just pulling your leg. He's hoping to get us all relaxed and trusting around him so that he turn around and use it to his advantage."

"You sure didn't think that way before," Blossom giggled.

"Enough about that already!"

"No, I think I want to hear about this," Butch scowled. Buttercup blinked, but shrugged.

"It was just some stupid kindergarten crush I had years ago. It's no big deal."

"You sure none of those feelings are still there?"He eyed her suspiciously.

"Of course not! Ace is just another villain we are constantly dealing with. Besides, you can trust me," she elbowed him playfully.

"Come on," Blossom said. "Let's go enjoy the rest of our day!"

They saw every animal, took pictures of every exhibit, and ate every food. But no matter what they did, Butch could not concentrate. He kept thinking of the way he saw Ace wink at the Girls, Buttercup in particular. It could have been all in his head, he decided reluctantly. Yet the assurance never lasted long before doubts entered his mind once more. Buttercup barely had time to notice his silence or change in behavior for her sisters were constantly tugging her this way and that, begging her to take another picture or try another food. So he was left to wallow in the uncertainty of who her feelings were truly for.

Soon, the sun set and everyone began getting tired. The Boys flew the Girls to their house and floated in the window as they said goodbye. Blossom pulled Brick's cap away and kissed him on the top of his head. Boomer handed Bubbles her stuffed animal, Octi and received a loving kiss. Buttercup hugged Butch gingerly. When she did not kiss him, it only furthered his worries. Buttercup and Bubbles scooted into their own beds, but Blossom remained standing. She watched Boomer and Brick fly away, leaving a lagging Butch behind. She floated out the window and called to him. He turned and flew back towards her.

"What's up?"

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged and they grew silent. "Look, I know it's hard having a 'unique' relationship with Buttercup, but it's nothing you're doing wrong. Buttercup is just naturally not a loving person. I mean she loves you, but it's hard for her to get very romantic or touchy," she laughed.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know." But he did not know. It made him uncomfortable to see his brothers receiving affection with ease from Blossom and Bubbles while he was left in the shadows by Buttercup, struggling for her attention. "Good night," he sighed, flying away. He glanced back to see her return to her home and sighed. Shaking his head, he frowned. "Nah, she's right. It's nothing I'm doing. That's just the way Buttercup is. And it certainly isn't because of that green-skinned freak, Ace!" _Is it?_ He clawed at his head to banish the thoughts.

"No, she loves me, not him! And nothing will ever change that," he said, landing in the abandoned video game store.

"Dude?"

He faced Brick.

"What are you talking about?"

"And why are you talking to yourself?" Boomer chirped.

"Ah, forget it. Just go to sleep."

They shrugged and crawled into their beds which consisted of piles of junk and merchandise. Butch scooted down into the midst of a heap of video games and pulled the covers up to his neck. Gazing up at the stars, he recalled what she had said earlier.

_ "It was just some stupid kindergarten crush I had years ago. It's no big deal."_

But was it a big deal?

**A/N**

**Hehe, I think someone is jealllllloouuusss! Chapter 2 will be up shortly!**

**I also have a poll up in my profile. If you could please take the time to answer that, that would be wonderful! It asks who do you want the main villain to be for this story? And it cannot be Ace because I have plans for him :). I just thought I would ask because Him was the bad guy for The Love Potion and Mojo was the bad guy for Truth or Dare. Thank you so much!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Sorry this chapter is so late! I was babysitting my nephews tonight ^-^ Anyways, enjoy! **

Something was tickling her nose and it was really annoying her. She grumbled and swatted whatever it was away, but it would not stop coming! She growled and crinkled her eyes open, the sleep in her eyes floating down. What she did not expect was to see Butch with her hair in his hand. A small chunk of hair rested between his fingers which she assumed was the culprit for the never-ending tickling. He shushed her and pointed at her sisters. This is when she realized just how late it was; they were all still fast asleep.

"Wait, what time exactly—" she stopped and glared at the clock which shouted two in the morning. "Butch, what are you doing here?"

He spoke no further, but pointed out the window and flew away. She sighed, but followed reluctantly. A blush crept across her cheeks when she realized how underdressed she was in her pajamas. "What's up?" she asked, shivering. He wrapped his arms around her petite frame, receiving an admiring smile. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to see you," he lied.

"So let me get this straight," she said, crossing her arms. "You came all the way out here at two o'clock in the morning just to see me?"

He squinted and frowned. "Pretty lame excuse, huh?"

"I was expecting better" she smirked.

"Yeah I know," he sighed, pulling away. "Um…anyways. Yesterday was a uh…pretty interesting day huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well we finished Mojo off, we hung out, you saw Ace again. And—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back it up. What?"

"It must have been kind of awkward seeing him again, you know, after the history you've had together," he shrugged innocently.

She laughed. "Okay first off, we don't have any history or chemistry together. Like I said, he was beating up on Snake and it made me laugh because I like watching anyone get beat up. And after that, I don't know, I guess he started charming me and whatnot. I didn't have time for relationships before and to be honest, I didn't really care for them. But it was just a stupid crush. It didn't mean anything. Is that why you came out here tonight?"

"I was just checking up on you to see how you were holding up after the whole end-of the-world-nearly-coming business." She eyed him suspiciously, but decided to let it go. He peered away and looked around the city. "You want to go on a walk around the park?"

"Right now?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Butch, I'm in my pajamas," she laughed.

"You can change."

"Thanks, but I'll just wait till tomorrow. Good night." She hugged him tightly and only when he did not let go did she remember to kiss him. He watched her disappear into the darkness of her pitch-black bedroom. Sighing, he flew away. In Buttercup's defense, it was not her fault. She was always the rowdy, tough, and dangerous Powerpuff Girl. Nothing more, nothing less. Ever since her creation, she was a mean, green, fighting machine. Literally. She had no time for love or relationships, nor did she wish to squander her time with such meaningless time-wasters. Until she met Butch, she had never experienced real love. Sure there was that crush she had on Ace, but like she had been trying to convince Butch, it was just a crush and nothing else. It was weird feeling such odd, new emotions, especially for someone so unexpected. She was still getting used to the ways of showing affection and proving her love. Butch, too, had a complicated past mixed with much villainy and fighting, but nothing could have ever prepared him for what he was to experience with Buttercup. He was not used to craving the touch of someone else. Yet he had to admit: it felt pretty good. He now had a purpose, someone to fight for. But now that Buttercup was thinking straight and her thoughts were not consumed with escaping her lecturing family's rants and the business dealing with Mojo, she had returned to her old self. Her tough, unaffectionate self.

All she needed was time. That's what she told herself. Of course she still loved Butch, that much was certain. It was not just a simple crush that came from the frenzy created by her family or the dare; it was sincere. But she wanted to give Butch what she saw her sisters giving Brick and Boomer.

Butch scooted a pebble along the sidewalk as he paced the streets, endlessly thinking of Buttercup. He forgot his worries of Ace and merely focused on her. He loved her. He had never expected to fall in love with her, above all people. Yet it happened. And he would not have had it any other way. The smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the grace of her movements; he could not get enough of her! It was like she put him under a spell; a spell in which he could not break.

She would still be on his mind, had it not been for the roaring he heard in the distance. Peering up, he saw a monster towering over the city. A swipe of a claw and an entire street of buildings were taken out.

"He's totally trashing the city." He glanced back at the Powerpuff Girls' house. "I guess they'll be here soon. Better hold him off until then." He sprinted over and with a streak of color looping around the monster, he flew up to his head and pounded away.

"Don't take up all the fun!" he heard someone call. Looking back, he saw Buttercup approaching, with all her beauty. "Miss me?" she smiled smugly.

"You bet!" he beamed.

"I was talking to the monster," she giggled. Frowning, she dived towards the monster and began her assault. The beast growled and lunged at the four. "Where are Brick and Boomer?"

"I'm sure there on their way!" Bubbles puffed.

In the abandoned video game shack, Brick and Boomer snored the night away. They were clearly not getting up anytime soon.

"Well I wish they would hurry their butts up," Buttercup scowled. "This thing is kicking our butts!" She turned around just in time to dodge the tail swipe of the beast, but Blossom and Bubbles were not so fortunate. They got hit, hard. Crashing into the side of the building, they peeled off and landed on the ground below, unconscious. Buttercup stared at her sisters and then growled, a battle-cry echoing as she zipped towards the monster. He swatted her with the back of his claw and she crashed into the street below, a crater forming beneath the impact.

"Buttercup!"Butch cried. He then faced the monster and balled his fists. "It's time to end this."

Buttercup cracked her eyes open in time to see him tear the large bowl-like structure off of the water tower. She knew it would cause more harm than good. "Butch, wait! Don't!" But it was too late. He hurled it at the monster like a bowling ball and it hit it dead in the center of its chest. It went spiraling backwards, right into dozens of homes, buildings, and cars. He skidded to a stop, resting in a lifeless heap.

"Alright! We did it!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

"Are you kidding me?" Buttercup spat, landing beside him. "You just destroyed half of Townsville. That's the whole point of beating the monster: so the town doesn't get ruined!"

Blossom and Bubbles flew over to the pair and Blossom shrugged. "I'm sure it was just a mistake. I mean he is new to the whole hero business and all—"

"I just stopped that monster from killing everyone and you're mad about that? How about a thank you or a little appreciation?" he asked.

"You're right," she stated sarcastically. "Thank you for destroying the city, Butch. Congratulations on a job well done!" She began to fly away.

"Don't fly away when I'm talking to you," he demanded.

She growled and faced him abruptly. "Don't tell me what to do!"

"What do we do?" Bubbles asked. "They never usually act like this!"

"Look guys, I'm sure we're all just tired after all that we have been through the past few days. Why don't we apologize and just head home?" Blossom reasoned.

"I shouldn't have to apologize for anything," Butch scoffed.

"Yeah, 'cause according to him, we should be thanking him for wiping out the monster _and_ the city," Buttercup mocked.

Butch growled and before he could control himself, yelled, "This is exactly why you were never in a relationship before! It's not because you didn't have time or you didn't care; it's because no one wanted to be around you, Buttercup!"

She frowned, hurt, but stepped forward challengingly anyways. "What did you just say?"

"You go around telling everyone that you're not into love and whatnot when it's all just a big cover-up! No one wanted you and they could never find a way to like you because of your horrible attitude."

She clenched her hands until the bones cracked. "And what's your excuse? You say that's the reason I never had a boyfriend before, but what about you? You could never get anyone either!"

"Guys!" Blossom and Bubbles pleaded.

"Oh, no. That's not it at all. I just knew I shouldn't waste my time on people like you."

She frowned and growled, "Just get out of here, Butch."

"Gladly," he hissed before taking off.

Blossom stared at her sister sorrowfully. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she bent closer to her and smiled. "I'm sure he didn't mean any of that—"

"No, Blossom. That's the thing. He did mean it. Every last word. I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time on guys. They're all the same." She began to fly away.

"Wait," Bubbles called, "where are you going?"

"I need to blow off some steam," she mumbled.

Only once she was in the skies, away from her sisters' sight, did she wipe away the shameful tears.

**A/N**

**I know it was sad and all, but it's just to make the story go forward. Don't worry! They'll make up :). Chapter 3 will be up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**I actually really liked how this chapter turned out. It is mostly dialogue, but it really shows Buttercup's true struggles, in my opinion. Enjoy! **

Her fingers drummed the counter impatiently while her legs dangled off the side of the barstool. The dim lights and faint jazz music floating around did nothing to help her somber mood. _Where is my drink_, she thought with frustration. A man appeared and set the shot glass in front of her. She downed in an instant. Puffing out a steady stream of air, she slammed the glass down.

"Give me another round, Charlie," she demanded.

"Buttercup, you do realize that you are just drinking carbonated water, right?"

She glared up at him. "I'm in a freaking diner, not a bar! Besides, I'm underage even if I wanted to." She held up the shot glass. "At least let me pretend."

He shook his head and took the glass, mumbling something about crazy kids these days. She cradled her head in her hands and messaged her throbbing temples_. I can't believe Butch said that_, she thought. Why _is it bothering me so much? He's just some stupid guy. I could care less what he thinks of me. Who am I kidding? That really hurt. I've never felt this way. I feel like… like…_

"Like he tore me apart," she whispered, placing her head on the counter along with her arms.

"I'd hate to be the poor fool who did that to you."

Her head lifted and looked over to find Ace standing casually behind her. She groaned and shook her head. "Great. Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse."

"It's three o'clock in the morning and you've already had a bad day?" He whistled. "Phew, Buttercup. Only you could find a way to accomplish that."

"What do you want, Ace?"

He shrugged. "Just thought I'd grab a bite to eat."

"And you just happen to stop by the diner I was in?" she asked, annoyed.

"Yo, Charlie. The usual!" he called to the man behind the counter who nodded and began preparing food. Facing Buttercup, he smirked, "That answer your question?"

She sighed and traced her finger along the brim of her shot glass.

"This seat taken?" she heard him ask, pointing at the seat next to her.

"Unfortunately, no," she replied. He chuckled and sat down. His jacket flapped and grazed her arm. She shivered and scratched at the skin where she already felt goose bumps prickling. Staring at the rack of dishes behind the counter, she was uneasy as she felt him watching her. Just as she had expected, she turned to find his sunglasses perched on the end of his nose and his eyes glued to her. She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You okay?"

"It doesn't matter," she spat.

"Obviously it does or you wouldn't be at the twenty-four hour diner at three o'clock in the morning drinking…" he lifted her glass and chuckled, "carbonated water."

"It's complicated," she stated, turning away.

"Okay," he shrugged. "I understand." She was surprised he was not pushing the matter harder. "So, do your sisters know where you are?"

She tensed and stood up immediately, ready to fight. "Why does it matter? Cause I could still take you on even without them."

He remained unfazed as his food was placed in front of him. Stabbing his fork through a handful of scrambled eggs, he glanced at her. "I was wondering if they were the culprits or if it was your little boyfriend who got you so riled. I have a feeling it wasn't your sisters this time."

She sat down, but remained ever-alert. "Does it matter either way?"

He pulled the shades down and his eyes focused on her. "You tell me." She froze, staring at his inhuman eyes before shaking her head. She buried her head in her arms and sighed. He rubbed his hand lightly across her shoulder. "I'm no fool. I know you aren't crying. But I can tell that whoever said what really hurt you."

She shoved his hand away. "Why are you doing this?" She glared at him. "If you expect me to trust you and open up on my life then you have another thing coming to you."

"Buttercup –"

"No! You may have tricked me before, but I'm not falling for it again. Like I told Butch, you were just some stupid crush." She crossed her arms before blinking, realizing what she had said, and then facing Ace.

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me your little boyfriend is jealous of me?"

She frowned, grabbed her drink, chugged it, and stood to leave. "Wait." He placed his hand on her shoulder. She glared down and he removed it.

"I'm going home," she hissed. He scooped the remainder of his food into his mouth and stood.

"Can I walk you home?"

"I don't think it will look too good for the leader of the Gangreen Gang to be seen walking me home. I think I'll pass."

"At least let me walk you to your block," he said, tugging money out of his wallet and placing it on the counter. She peered at the money hard.

"I'm surprised you didn't steal your food," she glowered.

"I told you I'm not going to be causing any trouble for a while."

She groaned and sighed reluctantly. "Fine." Swiping her wallet out, she reached to grab money when he placed his hand atop of hers and lowered it.

"I've got it," he said, flicking a few bills onto the counter. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and headed out. She followed, keeping a watchful eye open. He stared up at the stars and stretched his arms out wide. "Its nights like these that everyone should be awake."

"You do this often?"

"Every night. The gang doesn't usually tag along so I mostly go by myself. Sometimes Lil' Arturo or Snake will come, but they never stop talking."

"Kind of defeats the purpose of a peaceful walk," she observed.

"Exactly," he winked. "You ever walk around at night?"

"Usually anytime I'm awake this late, I'm fighting crime," she huffed.

"You don't seem too happy about that." He looked at her.

"I just get sick of constantly playing hero. I'm not a villain, but sometimes it would just be fun to get into a little mischief. Nothing extreme, just something minor. I just want to be a normal teenager for once. And it doesn't help that half these people here don't even appreciate what we do for them. They've just come to expect us to save the day and protect their city. Do you know how annoying it is to have the Mayor call us up with every little trouble? I can't tell you how many times we've had to go down there just to open his pickle jar."

He shrugged. "No one said playing hero had to be a permanent gig."

"I can't necessarily quit that," she mumbled.

"Maybe not forever, but you could play hooky," he grinned.

She crossed her arms, her eyebrows falling. "Are you trying to con me into doing something illegal for you?"

"Not at all," he admitted. "Just saying everyone needs some time for themselves. Maybe it's 'bout time you took some for yourself." He stopped walking and smiled down at her.

"Do you know what my sisters would think of me? I couldn't relax for a minute with them breathing down my neck and I know they wouldn't approve."

"Sometimes the best thing you can do is the hardest, even if nobody approves. You live for yourself Buttercup," he said, nudging her. "Be the writer of your own story."

"Writer of…my own story…?" The thought seem unfathomable. She would love to just be free, not worrying about every little thing. It wouldn't be forever. Even if it were for just a day, she would give anything for a chance to live like a normal teenager.

"But remember…"

"Huh?" she looked up at him, breaking her thoughts.

"It's not always so great being like everybody else. Taking some time off is okay and all, but don't become like every other teenager out there."

"What do you mean?"

He laughed lowly, bitterly. "Look at me."

She looked him up and down and he laughed when she took him seriously. "I hate to admit it," she sighed, "but you could have turned out a lot worse."

"Thank you, Powdapuff," he bowed jokingly.

She sighed and was about to correct him. "It's Powerpuff—" and then she stopped herself. Squinting, she shook her head. "Actually, no. It's not. It's Buttercup."

He chuckled and nodded. "Okay. Then thank you, Buttercup."

The way he said her name; it reminded her of Butch. She shuffled her feet awkwardly and glared at the ground. "Um…we should probably start walking again. I should be getting home soon."

"No need," he smiled, pointing. "We're already here."

She turned around and realized he was right; they were already at the edge of the block. She nodded. "Well, I better be getting to bed. Good night. And stay out of trouble," she warned.

"Remember what I said," he called after her, "you're only as free as you let yourself be."

He watched her disappear into her house and began walking home himself. Buttercup sealed the door shut and leaned against it_. I'm only as free as I let myself be huh? Then I chose my freedom._

**A/N**

**Oh Ace ^-^ I'm wondering if I should use Him as the main villain or not. I know I used him in the Love Potion, but technically this story is not related to that one in anyway. Hmm… what do you think?**

**I hope you liked it! Chapter 4 will be up soon :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Here is chapter 4 :). Just a quick heads up: everybody wants Princess to be the main bad guy for this story, according to the polls. So that is how it will probably end up, but others are saying they want Him. If you have a strong opinion of this then vote now before I begin to incorporate the villain into the story. Thanks ^-^**

Butch stood on the doorstep, unmoving. In his hands were a bouquet of roses and an over-stuffed teddy bear with the words I'm sorry scribbled across its bulging belly. He sighed and reluctantly tapped the doorbell. When no one answered right away, he turned to walk away. "Oh, well. I guess no one's home!"

Just then, the door opened. The professor smiled. "Well hello, Butch! Come on in!"

_Shoot_. But he smiled politely and walked inside. He took a seat on the sofa while the Professor explained that the Girls were not home. Blossom was with Brick, Bubbles was with Boomer, but he could not say where Buttercup was. In all honesty, he said, he did not know where she was. He nodded and prepared to leave when the Professor stopped him, requesting Butch's opinion on his famous tuna casserole. One look and he knew to decline. The noodles were black and, what was that? Was that green glob of solid goo seriously the tuna?

He waved goodbye as the green one darted for his escape. "Hmm…I wonder what else I could add to this recipe?" the Professor asked aloud. "I know! Peanut butter will do just the trick!"

Butch shivered. He had fought devious monsters, insane madmen, and had had his hands stained with blood, yet nothing could have prepared him for the horror of his girlfriend's father's cooking. With eyes sweeping across, he searched the city. _Where is she?_ he wondered. She wasn't at her house, she wasn't at the mall, and she certainly wouldn't be at the library. Where else would she hang out at?

Just then, he heard her laughter. The beautiful melody tickled his ears and he peered down. There she was, smiling. But she was not alone. He landed behind her in time to see Ace rounding the corner. She waved and turned, jumping when she saw him. His words from the previous night immediately returned along with the familiar scowl. She crossed her arms.

"What are you doing here?" she said.

"I guess I should have arrived a little later so you had time to talk to Ace in private," he said ardently.

"There is nothing going on between us!" she replied edgily. "Why can't you just trust me?"

He blinked. She was right. He should have had more confidence in her. After all, she had given him no reason to distrust her. He glanced down and found the bear and flowers in his arm. Instantly remembering his original goal, he shoved them forward into her arms. "I brought these for you." She read the apology on the teddy bear.

"You really have a way with proving your sincerity," she mumbled.

"What am I supposed to think?" he said weakly. "Some guy that you had a crush on returns out of nowhere and I'm supposed to be cool with you guys hanging out?"

"It's not like we are going on dates. I happened to see him walking and he said hi. Do you want me to ignore him?"

He nodded.

"Butch!"

"You can't blame me for being jealous."

She sighed. "Look, I understand how you feel but there really is nothing to be jealous of. Ace is just some guy. You are my boyfriend. But you really need to have a little more confidence in me."

"I know. I should trust you. And I do."

"Then why can't you believe me when I say nothing is going on?"

"I'm just not used to this whole relationship thing," he admitted. "Wouldn't it make me a bad boyfriend if I didn't care?"

"I appreciate the fact that you care, but just try to ease up a little. I can handle myself and I would never cheat on you. You've got to believe me."

He nodded. "Okay. I trust you. You can talk to him, but if I ever see him making a move towards you then I will take care of it."

She smirked. "I think I would take care of the situation first."

His hand rubbed the back of his neck and then drew a card out of his pocket. Handing it her way, he watched her eyes scan across the words before gasping. "Dinner reservations for Chez Joël Bistro Français? Butch, this is a really expensive restaurant."

He nodded smugly. "And you and I are going tonight, baby!" He kissed her on the cheek. "Make sure to wear something beautiful!" He smiled and flew away. She giggled and began heading towards home. And then she thought over the dinner plans and frowned. _Great. This means I am going to have to wear a dress…_

She casually strolled into her room, hoping to remain in the shadows of her sister's attention. She had no such luck; the reservation card fluttered to the ground, right in front of Bubbles.

"What's that?" she pointed.

She swiped the card up and hid it protectively. "Nothing."

This is only caught Blossom's attention too. "What are you hiding, Buttercup?" she asked, setting her book aside.

"It doesn't matter."

Blossom peered at Bubbles and they both jumped towards her. Blossom held her down while Bubbles tugged the card from her grip. Reading it silently, she tilted her head. "Chez Joël Bistro Français at eight o'clock? Isn't that a French restaurant or something?"

"Yes," Buttercup hissed, snatching the card away.

Blossom gasped. "Are you going on a date?"

Her shoulders slumped. Well, she may as well ask them for advice. She had no clue as to how to dress or act and they had practically figured it out for themselves anyways. Sighing, she glared shyly at the ground. "I need your help. I…I need you to make me…" she gulped, the words running dry on her lips, "g-girly." She shuttered. "I have a date with Butch tonight."

Blossom and Bubbles blinked and remained silent for a moment before jumping in the air and squealing with delight. Buttercup cringed and clutched her ears. Before long, Bubbles grabbed her arm and dragged her out the window. "Where are we going?" she wondered.

"The mall!" Blossom said. "Duh!"

"Oh no," she breathed, her eye twitching. "We aren't going to…that store, are we?"

They nodded and she screamed in horror, fighting to get away. Somehow, they managed to get her there and she did not like it one bit. Everywhere she looked, there was pink! She backed against the wall, her nails clawing at the pink curtains covering the room. "No! No! No! Anything but this store!" Blossom dragged her to the vast selection of dresses while she panicked and tried to escape. "I am not shopping at a store called the Prancing Pink Ponies! You can't make me!" But they did. Bubbles slipped a dress off the rack and over her head. Buttercup frowned.

"See? You look beautiful!" Blossom chirped.

"This is going to be one long day," Buttercup muttered, glaring at the neon pink outfit.

And it was. While she insisted on combat boots littered with buckles and straps, her sisters disagreed and brought forth a pair of black pumps. She eyed some plastic vampire fangs and went to grab them when her sisters shook their head no, producing a stick of peach lipstick. After the dress was picked and the makeup was bought, they headed to the salon.

"A new hairstyle will really top it all off," Blossom winked.

"What's wrong with my hair now?"

"You've got to wear something special for your first date, Buttercup!" Bubbles beamed. "You will look beautiful!"

They even managed to drag her to the manicurist. She growled and snarled as the lady slathered a coat of pink onto her nails. "Enough with the pink!" she yelled.

By the time they were finished, you couldn't even recognize her. In fact, she wasn't even Buttercup anymore; at least, not according to her. At home, her sisters giggled as they stood over her shoulder. The three looked into the mirror and her sisters smiled. "See? We told you you would look great!" But she did not see it. She flicked at the flower perched over her right ear and trailed a finger down her hair which lay flat against her back. And the only thing that saved her sanity with the pink dress was the single strip of black running around her waist; her only savoir in it all. She shook her head.

"This is not going to work. This outfit is hideous!"

"Will you trust us for once?" Blossom pleaded. Buttercup thought back to what she had said to Butch. _Maybe it is me_, she thought. So she decided to hear them out.

"Now we need to teach you the basic manners," Bubbles chirped.

Buttercup burped and shrugged. "What's wrong with my manners?"

Blossom and Bubbles knew they had a lot of work headed their way and began right away. She stiffly held each different kind of fork and listened closely as they explained what each one was for. It baffled her. She asked why they couldn't just use their hands to eat. Blossom slapped her forehead while Bubbles explained. When they were finished, she reviewed the manners in her head. Okay, so according to her sisters you shouldn't eat with your hands, no burping, listen and let him talk while occasionally adding your two cents, giggle and smile a lot. According to them, it made you more appealing. She scoffed at the thought.

"Okay," Blossom smiled, "It's time for your first date!"

**A/N**

**I was actually very happy with the way this chapter turned out ^-^ I don't know how but the writing just seems better. Not trying to brag or anything though XD **

**I wonder how Butch will react to Buttercup's new look? We'll find out in chapter 5 which is headed your way soon :) Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**

**Before you read, I just want to apologize for the delay with the last chapter. For some reason, every time I tried to submit the chapter or even update the story, it would not let me. So I couldn't :(. But hopefully there was no inconvenience or problems for you guys. **

**Anyways, about the chapter. All I have to say is: wow. This is probably the most dramatic chapter yet. I will hold you up no longer. Enjoy.**

She crawled out of the car and thanked the Professor for the ride. She had never bothered to buy herself a car because she could just fly everywhere, but her dad insisted on driving her to her first date so she agreed. Slamming the door shut, she watched him disappear down the street and faced the restaurant, blowing out slowly.

Her legs were wobbly. Not from nerves; she was considerably relaxed when she thought of the plans for that evening. No, it was those blasted high heels! No matter how often balance was required in the art of fighting she could not manage, for the life of her, to walk without tripping. Luckily, she eventually got it down by the time she arrived at the restaurant.

"Now just to find Butch," she mumbled, scanning over the crowded eatery. Instead, a waiter with a cloth draped over his arm presented himself.

"Right this way, madam," he said haughtily. She stifled a laugh when she eyed the curly mustache hugging his lip. "You find something amusing, ma'am?" She recalled the course of manners she had been put through and merely shook her head, thanking him when he pulled her seat out for her. Settling down, she placed her purse on the floor beneath. Yes, Blossom and Bubbles had even managed to get her to bring a purse along. How they did, no one will ever know. She glanced at the clock and saw that he was already seven minutes late. Lying with a smile, she glanced around the room in hopes to distract the doubts pounding within. _What if he doesn't show up? He'll show up. He's already seven minutes late. So? Butch is never prompt about anything. And why do you think that? Because, he's laidback. That's just the way he is. Don't you think that's a bad sign? What if he does this every date? Will you be okay waiting for him to show up each time? Just shut up and go away!_

Finally, he arrived. "Sorry I'm late," he smirked, leaning into his seat. "What're you up to?"

She nearly growled, "Arguing with myself", but instead giggled and said, "Oh nothing! Just thinking of you."

Butch blinked in confusion, but nodded. "Ok-ay. Anyways, you like the restaurant?"

_Remember what Blossom and Bubbles told you_, she reminded herself. Flapping her hand, she smiled. "It is simply fabulous!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she grinned.

He shrugged, but then his eyes dropped wide as he stared at her. "Wow, you look…Um, stand up so I can see you." She was confused, but decided to stand anyways. Minding her heels, she managed to stand gracefully before him. His eyes widened even more as they scanned her up and down. "You're wearing pink," he laughed in disbelief. She nodded and twirled her hair 'round her finger. He simply blinked and blew out slowly. "Okay, um you can sit down now." She complied. Yet he watched her closely; every movement she made was marked in his head. The way she delicately grasped her fork and poked at her light salad, the manner in which she dabbed her peach-colored lips with a napkin, and especially the excessive giggles which flew from her mouth. Was this really Buttercup? He decided to let it go and just continue with their evening. After all, it was probably just a phase. He hoped.

Butch rubbed his hands together in delight as his plate of ribs was placed before him. He immediately scooped one up and munched away. Buttercup giggled once again and shook her head. "My, my, Butch," she said, dabbing away at his face with a handkerchief. "You certainly are messy when you eat!" Dragging his sleeve across his mouth he shrugged, replying with an uncertain, "I guess so."

The unnerving evening dragged on. He found himself constantly staring off into space as she spoke, even if it was rare. It was hard enough just to get her to talk; she mostly left it all up to Butch. He didn't mind her listening to him once in a while, but this was just ridiculous. In her mind, she was constantly reminding herself of what her sisters had said: let him do most of the talking. You don't want to appear conceited, which you will, if you talk about yourself too much. He could not believe that the girl sitting across from him was his girlfriend.

During the period of one of their many awkward silences, their dessert arrived. Buttercup's stomach growled instantly: a slice of dark molten chocolate cake smothered in melted fudge, topped off with a heaping scoop of dripping silk chocolate ice cream. Nearly forgetting what her sisters had said, she snatched a fork off the table and prepared to dig in. Yet she calmly regained her composure, straightened her posture, and smiled. Gently placing the fork into the midst of flowing chocolate, she tore a bit off and placed it on the middle of her tongue, making sure she did not talk while her mouth was full. Butch opened his mouth to say something but instead, set his fork down and scooted his chair back.

"Where are you going?" Buttercup inquired.

"Let's take a walk," he mumbled, placing the money on the table. The bill had not yet arrived and he assumed the amount he had given was nearly double of what he actually owed; he simply did not care. Swinging the door open, they stepped out onto the dark streets. Butch removed his jacket and draped it across her shoulders. She smiled.

Street after street, all was silent. Her heels clicked against the pavement; his disappointment trudged against the sidewalk.

Storms had plagued the city for the past few days, the rains coming on and off that day. Shallow puddles scattered about made an immediate problem for Buttercup who lightly lifted her skirt to avoid the mud. "Can't get dirty," she hummed. Butch observed the whole ordeal and continued walking.

They passed a display of TVs which instantly caught his attention. He watched in evident fascination as he saw two wrestlers preparing to fight. He looked at Buttercup, pointing excitedly. Instantly she knew it was her favorite show, Wrestling Retards. But that was not ladylike; at least, that is what she told herself. So, instead of joining him, she wagged a finger in the opposite direction, signaling for them to keep walking. His smile vanished.

The silence was maddening. _Blossom and Bubbles didn't mention anything about this…_

She peered up at the sky. "It looks like it is going to rain again."

"Yeah."

She looked at him. "Is everything alright?"

He began to nod, but then he stopped. "Actually, no. No it's not."

"What's wro—?"

"What's happened to you?" he said, walking no longer.

"What do you mean?" she half-laughed.

"You used to be the one who loved to get messy eating ribs. You could spend hours watching wrestling. And, you hate pink. I want to know what happened to that girl."

"Butch, I was just trying to have a fun night with you," she shrugged. "Isn't that why you asked me to go to this dinner with you?"

"I didn't ask for this to come to dinner," he said, gesturing to her. "I asked for Buttercup to be my date."

"I am me," she said.

"No, the Buttercup I know is nothing like this. She was the one I liked." He sighed and shook his head. "You aren't the one I love." Thunder clapped above and a blanket of rain began slowly drenching Townsville.

She stared up at him, shocked yet hurt. "Butch…?" she muttered. Her heart quivered as she shook her head.

"You know what," he pulled away. "This isn't going to work. I thought you were someone else, but I guess I was wrong." She watched helplessly as he began walking away.

"Wait!" she stepped forward.

"Maybe we should see other people first. We can at least see if relationships really are meant for us and if they are, then we can give it a go. But it just won't work right now."

"This wasn't my fault. Blossom and Bubbles told me I should be more ladylike and have manners and dress in these stupid frilly dresses." With each word, she took it all away; she removed the heels, unfastened the earrings, and scrubbed away the lipstick. "They were the ones who said I should act like this to impress you. I didn't want to be this way. I just wanted to go as myself."

"You couldn't have said something?" he asked. "You have a say in what you do, Buttercup. And the girl I used to know wouldn't have just dealt with something she didn't agree with." He eyed her disappointedly. "She would have fought back," he spat.

"I wanted to say something. I did. But…"

"But what?"

"I was afraid," she admitted. "I'm not used to this whole relationship thing and I wasn't sure if it would push you away. I didn't want to lose you; I didn't want to lose us! I thought you knew that. I thought you knew me."

He shook his head and said, "So did I." He turned to leave.

"You're leaving me?" she asked lowly.

He glanced back before returning to his original path. Walking away, he muttered "It's for the best."

Thunder roared at her above, yet she did not notice. Everything was spinning and she couldn't catch her breath; she couldn't breathe. Her hands clawed at her arms in a useless effort to comfort herself. Peering down into a puddle, she saw the makeup streaming from her eyes; her hair was escaping the hairspray's hold and naturally falling back into its original style. She appeared once again, out of the shadows of the makeup and coverings. The puddle rippled as a tear dripped into it. She shivered, yet no one was there to notice.

Walking the empty streets, all went unnoticed. She marched through the waves of rain flowing down the street and ignored every opportunity for shelter. It was only until she ended up at the movie theater that she fell beneath the canopy of the roof. Her knees scraped the rugged concrete and her heart cried out from his absence; Butch did not respond. Her stomach tightened, her body fell numb, and her mind drew blank. Her fingers trembled, scraping at the sidewalks and brick walls as she tried to stand. She lost her balance and nearly fell, had it not been for the arms waiting to catch her. Peering up, her eyes adjusted.

"Ace," she whispered. "It hurts."

He nodded and sat against the wall, pulling her onto his lap. With one hand removing his jacket, he used the other to sheathe her dripping body. As he stroked the sodden hair away from her face, she gripped his shirt and whispered, "It hurts so bad…"

**A/N**

**Oh man. Poor Buttercup. I know she changed a lot, but she really didn't know any better. Her sisters didn't mean to do anything either; they were just trying to help but still. And I just felt so bad for her when she was walking around aimlessly in the midst of the storm, complete alone. While I was editing that part, I was listening to Tears of an Angel by Ryan Dan and it tore me apart. I do love the ending though where Ace is the only one there to hold her. But I have a feeling there is going to be some Butch-burning in the review o.o. Oh well, I feel bad for Buttercup so burn away XD. I am just messing around. Thanks for reading and the next chapter will be up shortly.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**This chapter explains a lot. Enjoy!**

"Buttercup," Ace whispered. She glanced into his pitying eyes and watched his hand make its way to her face. His thumb stroked the streaked makeup caked around her eyes while his other hand swept her hair aside, removing the wilted flower. He cradled her face in his hands and whispered, "That's better."

She blinked before trying to stand. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't…I…"

"It's no problem," he said, standing. "Everybody has their bad days."

"Does every girl get dumped by her boyfriend because she tried to impress him?" she asked weakly.

"Maybe something is bugging him. His family might not approve, he doesn't like commitment, he's stressed; there are many reasons why a guy acts that way. But I don't think it's the girl," he said, winking at her.

"I should have never listened to Blossom and Bubbles. They told me to act all ladylike," she sighed. "But it's not their fault. Butch is right. I should have stuck up for myself."

Ace squinted as the sun peeked over the horizon. "You hungry, Powdapuff?"

She ignored the name and simply shook her head.

"You've got to eat something, Buttercup."

"If you're asking me to come along then I will. I just don't want to eat." She kicked a pebble and frowned. "I've lost my appetite." Her legs fell limp as she struggled to keep up to his long strides. Eventually, he turned and waited for her, remaining by her side. The first eatery that came into sight was the diner. "Of course," she huffed. Ace slid the door open and minded the small girl crawling through the doorway. She was forced to put on the high heels due to the no shirt, no shoes, no service policy.

"We have got to get you new shoes," Ace pointed out as he saw her stumbling to the stool. She hopped onto the seat and laid her head down on the counter. "We've also got to stop meeting like this," he chuckled, draping his jacket over her.

"Something isn't right…"

He flipped a menu open and began scanning down. "You got that right. We're at a diner and you ain't eatin'. "

"No, not that," she waved him off. "I mean with Butch. After the business with Mojo was over, he seemed…off."

"Stop thinking about that for a while," he said, passing an apple dumpling her way. When she was about to protest, he lifted his hands protectively and nudged her while he said, "I know, I know. You said you weren't hungry. Save it for later."

Even still, she picked at the shell, watching the flaky crust flutter off as she thought. She stared at a fly zipping around her head in repetitious patterns to which Ace found much amusement, seeing her eyes darting back and forth in annoyance. Pretty soon, she heard someone calling her name. It was coming from outside. She knew it was not Butch; the voice was too girly. Ace was the first one out the door. Buttercup was still trying to find a way to stand upright in the heels.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles called. She glanced down and saw him. "Ace! Do you know where Buttercup is?"

He shielded his eyes from the sun and gestured for her to come down. When she landed, he nodded. "Yeah, she's with me."

Behind him, he felt the concrete vibrate as Blossom zoomed down and rushed up behind him. "Where is she?" she hissed. Dark circles plagued her eyes. Bubbles too. It appeared that they had been up all night searching for Buttercup. He pointed to the diner doorway and they turned to find her stumbling out, cursing her heels. "Buttercup!" Blossom cried, scooping her up in her arms. "We were so worried! Where were you?"

"Are you okay?" Bubbles squeaked. Buttercup popped out of their iron grip, gasping for breath. Finally, she nodded. "How did dinner with Butch go?"

Ace frowned and stepped away slightly, preparing for her explosion. He was right too, because she glared at the ground and screamed, "That stupid, romantic, pathetic, strong, green, awesome-haired loser hated me!"

"He didn't hate you," Ace shrugged meekly.

"Then explain why he dumped me," she said.

Bubbles gasped. "He dumped you? But why?"

"Because I wasn't myself. I went to dinner as some pink, frilly girly-girl. I know you guys were just trying to help but next time, I need to do things myself. If there is a next time…"

"Come on," Blossom said, walking away. Buttercup eyed her in confusion, asking where they were going. "We are going to have fun," she smiled. "We can't let some boy get you down. You're Buttercup! Right?"

"I guess so…" she mumbled.

"No, no, no," she shook her head. "That won't do. I said you're Buttercup. Right? Say it!"

"I am Buttercup," she said.

"I can't hear you!" Bubbles squeaked.

"I am Buttercup!" she shouted triumphantly. "You're right! I'm not going to go around pouting like some baby! We are going to have fun today. By the time I'm done, Butch is going to see just what he missed out on!"

"I don't think she quite got the point of "not thinking about him." But what do I know?" Ace shrugged. "You girls have fun."

"Wait!" He nearly tripped, but peered down to find Bubbles hanging onto his leg, Blossom tugging at his arm. "Come with us," Bubbles chirped.

"Hanging out is good and all, but I don't think I could handle pink ponies and dresses," he laughed, perching his sunglasses down.

"Are you kidding me? That stuff is weak." Buttercup smiled devilishly. "We have other ways of having fun."

Ace stared, mouth agape. "The extremely gross, disturbing, nightmare-provoking, etc. house of doom?"

They were at the carnival and he was finally starting to see just what she meant by "other ways of having fun." All three pushed him towards the entrance, chanting, "Come on! It will be fun! Let's do it!"

He shrugged. "Okay. I mean, how bad could it be?"

By the time they were leaving the exit, Buttercup was laughing, Blossom was walking in a daze, and Bubbles was hiding beneath the safety of Ace's jacket. "That's something you don't see every day," he said, eye twitching.

"I know!" Buttercup laughed. "Isn't it great?"

He fished around, trying to grab Bubbles. She squirmed to hide and squealed in fright. "It's over," he sighed. She barely peeked out.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Don't be such a baby, Bubbles!" Buttercup said. "It's just a stupid carnival ride."

"But it was so detailed," Blossom gagged.

"Come on," Buttercup pointed. "Let's try out the other rides!"

"I think it's safe to say she has returned to her old self," Blossom laughed, following her sister. Ace finally managed to get Bubbles out of his jacket and set her on the ground. How she even managed to fit in there, he will never know. She remained silent, staring at the ground.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I wish I could be tough like the others," she whimpered.

"You kidding me? You've kicked my butt plenty of times," he smirked.

"But I can't handle gross things like Buttercup. And Blossom is smart enough to add knowledge to every situation that scares her so it doesn't seem scary anymore. I just get afraid each time."

"Everyone handles everything differently," he pointed out. "You've just got to find what suits you best."

She smiled. "Thanks, Ace. You know, you really aren't a bad guy after all." She lightly kissed him on the cheek and ran off to join her sisters, leaving him to stand there. He peered at the ground, deep in thought. It was not a romantic kiss; it was out of friendship. And perhaps that is what made the most out of it. _Friendship_…

The Girls turned around and waved. "You coming, slowpoke?" Buttercup grinned. He nodded and followed.

He checked behind his shoulder once more. No one was following him. Ducking below fallen arches, stepping over broken windows, he made his way through the abandoned apartment building which stood at the center of Townsville. Finally, he found who he was looking for.

"There," Butch spat. "I did what you told me. We broke up."

Someone snickered and they slowly turned their swivel chair to face him. Red hair, a golden crown, and a smirk filled with greed; it could be no other. "Excellent," Princess sneered. "You've done well, Rowdyruff!"

"I've kept up to my end of the bargain, now let her go!" he hollered.

"Not just yet," she snapped. "I'm still not finished with you."

"I should have never let this happened," he whispered, turning away. He did not know how, he did not know when it happened. Somewhere in the course of the week, Princess had managed to inject a microscopic device into Buttercup. With the press of a button, it would latch onto the Chemical X which flowed through her veins. Slowly, it would kill her from the inside out; unless Butch was willing to comply with Princess' demands. "First you make me break up with her and then you make me hurt her on our first date. She looked gorgeous last night and I had to tell her I hated it." He glared at his hands as if they were stained with blood. "I even made her cry." Gritting his teeth, he whispered hoarsely, "What more do you want?"

"I want those Powerpuff Girls to suffer just as much as I did! They will regret the day they didn't let me become a Powerpuff Girl!"

"And then what? When they find out what you are up to, the Girls and my brothers will beat the snot out of you!"

"This is where I come into play."

He gasped and watched as a crimson cloud appeared and circled beside Princess. She folded her arms and said, "I've recruited a little additional help."

Him smiled and stepped towards Butch. "That's right. You see, we've had a little agreement."

"What agreement?" he hissed.

"That is not of importance," Him replied. "But don't worry, Butch. If you comply, you and your little girlfriend will stay alive. At least, for a little while longer." He laughed.

"You stay away from Buttercup!" he yelled. He rushed towards Him but tentacles grew out of the wall and held him back.

"Ah, ah, ah," Him mocked. "You must learn to control that temper of yours. Or it will be your downfall!"

**A/N**

**And that is why Butch was acting like such a jerk… XD**

**Aw! I just had to add that sweet part where Bubbles kisses Ace on the cheek! I thought it was sweet ^-^ Chapter 7 will be up soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Extremely sweet chapter :)**

**Oh and for becomingemo, (I think that is the sign on name :l) I will warn you now: there IS a major scene between Buttercup and Ace. You said you hate Ace so much so I am telling you ahead of time. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would not leave any negative comments or reviews about the scene or this chapter. It simply ruins it for everyone else. Besides, a lot of other people enjoy those scenes ^-^ Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy the story :)**

**That goes for everyone else :D! Enjoy the chapter! **

Buttercup laughed as she ran from one attraction to the next; cotton candy stands, roller coasters, you name it. She was there. Everyone, even Ace, was finding it difficult to keep up to her ever-eager pace. At one point, they stopped to play an aim-and-shoot game. Buttercup was positioning the toy gun at a plastic alien figurine while Blossom watched from behind. Blinking in exhaustion, she stifled a yawn and stretched till her back cracked loudly. She was so tired. She was ready to ask Buttercup if she was ready to go home when someone scooped her up in their arms. She yelped and without thinking, drove her elbow into their ribs. They groaned in pain and dropped her, staggering back. She twirled around and was ready to pounce when she saw Brick doubled over in pain. "Brick?" she asked meekly. He glanced up, his hat falling off from the assault. She giggled and perched it back onto his head. "What are you doing here?"

"Boomer missed Bubbles," he said, pointing behind her. She turned to find Bubbles giggling as she too was picked up. Boomer smiled at her happiness. "So I thought I would let him stop by." She noticed the faint blush crossing his cheeks and knew that he had wanted to see her also. Instead of calling him out on it, she simply kissed him on the cheek and twirled her arm around his.

Boomer placed Bubbles on his shoulders, who giggled and squealed with excitement. Looking up at her, he asked with a smile, "Have you seen Butch lately? We can't find him anywhere."

Buttercup pressed the trigger and was about to hit the alien head on but, at the mention of Butch's name, she missed badly. The plastic bullet fell to the ground and bounced with a hollow thud. "Who cares?" she spat. "He's probably just playing the field." She growled and launched the bullet into the alien which flew backwards and ripped through the back of the tent which surrounded the booth.

Brick and Boomer exchanged weary glances and opened their mouths to ask when Blossom shook her head silently and drew a finger across her throat; the murdering gesture was enough to silence them. Brick peered behind Blossom and shielded his eyes. "Hey, isn't that your gang?" he asked Ace. Ace turned to find Lil' Arturo, Snake, Grubber, and Big Billy standing around a popcorn vender.

"What're you guys doing here?" Ace smirked as he walked over.

Grubber's eyes widened and he raced over, clinging to Ace's leg. Snake began prying him off when he saw Grubber licking him while Lil' Arturo explained, "He missed you."

"I see that," he replied, eyeing his friend casually. "Sorry 'bout my absence, fellas. I've been hanging out with the Girls." He pointed over his shoulder at the five of them.

"Who you callin' a girl?" Brick spat.

"Err, and the Boys."

"Wasssn't there another green one?" Snake hissed.

Ace slapped him up the head and peered fearfully back at Buttercup who continued to shoot the alien figurine over and over, even though it was already on the ground lying in a burnt crisp. Snake gulped and immediately shut up.

"You are coming back to the Gang," Lil' Arturo asked fearfully, "right?"

"'Course I'm comin' back. I'm just laying low for a while. And you guys better be doing the same."

They all nodded and spoke at once, "Oh, yes. Of course boss! We're behaving!"

"Hey!" Blossom called. The Gang glanced curiously her way. "Why don't you guys hang out with us?"

"Usss?" Snake asked, bewildered.

"The Powerpuff Girls, Rowdyruff Boys, and the Gangreen Gang hanging out?" Big Billy sputtered. "Is that legal?"

"It's only illegal on Wednesdays," Lil' Arturo pointed out.

Ace shook his head at their stupidity and gestured for them to come. The four followed and joined up with the Girls and Boys. They all stood in a circle, staring at each other. The only sound was of the occasional flap of Grubber's tongue. Ace crossed his arms. "Well this is awkward."

"We aren't used to hanging out," Big Billy pouted.

"Yesss," Snake nodded. "Usually we are kicking each other's buttsss."

"That was before. We're all friends here," Buttercup said.

"Yeah, come on guys!" Bubbles chirped. "We're friends! Let's have fun!"

At first, it was very awkward. Every time Buttercup arched a hand back to high five Lil' Arturo, he ducked like an abused puppy. But eventually, they grew use to one another and actually found themselves enjoying the company of their once-enemies. Night fell upon them, yet their evening refused to end. Lights glowed with a hypnotizing illumination and only added to the atmosphere. They finally made their way to one of the hills surrounding the carnival and sat on the grass. Ace placed his hand on the cool grass and let each individual blade slip between his fingers. He sighed in pleasure as he leaned back, arms propping his head. For once, he was just relaxing. No trouble and no mischief; just tranquility. He could be doing so much more with the night; the shadows of the moon proposed the perfect cover to rob the nearby convenience store or pick on the kids who were out past their curfew. But it also brought forth the perfect opportunity to simply enjoy life. And he was relishing every second of it.

The others were also enjoying the peaceful environment. Big Billy was asleep under a tree a couple feet away with Lil' Arturo fast asleep on his stomach. Snake was busy pulling Grubber out of the nearby lake over and over for Grubber believed that he was drowning if his tongue got wet. Boomer glanced at Bubbles, but tilted his head in curiosity when he saw her wide eyes staring at something off in the distance. "Bubbles?" He sat up and tapped her. Her arm lifted in a daze and pointed at an illuminated booth. He instantly saw what she wanted: a large octopus, very similar to Octi, sat on the prize shelf. He dusted off his pants and extended a hand her way. She giggled and accepted the invitation. Pretty soon, they were both standing around the booth, Boomer trying to win her the prize.

Blossom slithered a hand around an oblivious Brick who had his cap covering his eyes. She slipped it off and he immediately protested. That is, until she silenced him with a kiss. He pulled her atop him and buried his hand into her mane of hair. A tap on his shoulder caused him to growl in annoyance before pulling back and glaring. "What do you want, Boomer?" He wondered what could have been important enough to interrupt him.

Boomer pointed behind him at the booth. "You're better at aim than I am and I really want to win this toy for Bubbles. Could you help us out?"

Brick was about to reject him when Blossom grasped his hand and nodded. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help you. Right, Brick?"

"Actually, I—"

Her glare pierced daggers through him and he gulped before nodding fearfully. They quickly joined up with the couple.

Buttercup stared up at the stars winking at her from above. Her heart was slowly healing from Butch, but there was no way it would stay together completely forever. She sighed. Ace slowly faced her. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Do you think it is possible for someone to be unlovable?"

He turned on his side to look at her directly. "Only if you are pure evil without a conscience," he chuckled bitterly. "But I know it is very easy to love you."

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt it tighten. Tears tapped the brims of her eyelids and she closed her eyes tightly. "Then why am I alone? I thought I was the hero?" she whispered.

He knew the pain would not leave her easily. Yet he would do whatever it took. "Tell me your dreams, Buttercup."

She wiped the tears away. "What?"

"Come on. Every girl has a romantic fantasy. They have to," he smirked.

She blushed. "I-I don't know. Why does it matter?"

"You can tell me. And it's just for fun."

She peered away, obviously embarrassed but finally caved and shrugged. "I don't know. I always thought it was sweet when a couple slow dances under the moonlight."

He nodded his head and smiled. "Oh, really?"

"See? It's stupid."

"No, it's not." He stood and straightened his jacket. Extending his hand, he said, "May I have this dance?"

She blinked, but quickly glanced around and ducked shyly. "Ace, everyone will watch."

"Let them," he shrugged.

"But I don't even know how to slow dance."

He lowered his sun glasses in mock shock. "_You_ don't know how to _slow_ dance? Oh, shame, Buttercup. That's something every girl should know how to do! Come on, it's easy. I'll teach you." He gave her no other choice as he picked her up onto her feet. She was about to back away, but he clasped her hands with his. Tugging her hips closer to him, he positioned her hands as so and looked down at her. "Ready?"

"I guess," she blushed.

She followed his lead and they slowly rocked back and forth. "See?" he beamed. "You're dancing!"

She laughed and looked at the ground. He pulled her chin up and winked. "Have some fun. It doesn't matter what others think. Remember what I said: learn to live for yourself sometimes."

The moonlight bathed her in a creamy glow from her arms to her hips. Her hair floated in a curtain of a shadowy waterfall grazing the air as he twirled her around. When she landed in his arms once again, he whispered, "You're dancing…"

She stared up at him and shook her head, backing away. "W-We shouldn't be doing this. It wouldn't be right."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't seem right that I could move on so quickly," she shrugged. He gathered her up again and nodded.

"We're only friends."

He twirled her again and her world slowed down tremendously. Of course she saw her sisters watching her with wide eyes, yet she could not stop. When he dipped her to the ground, she held the back of his neck and stared up at him.

"Only friends…?" she repeated, panting.

"Buttercup, you don't love me," he smiled. "You want someone to end your pain. And as much as I want to help, there is only one person who can repair your heart. And that's him."

She blinked and glanced away, embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, guiding her face back to his. "You are a beautiful girl, Buttercup. And for all I know, Butch was just having a bad day. But I do want you to promise me something."

She nodded.

"Whoever you pick, make sure that he lets you know just how special you are. Whenever he sees you, he needs to remind you of how beautiful you are and tell you how much he loves you every day. Okay?"

Bubbles wiped a tear away and smiled adoringly, "That's so sweet."

Blossom shushed her and folded her arms. "Bubbles, you shouldn't listen to other people's conversations." But she too was staring with fascination.

Ace laughed and glanced up. "Enjoying the show?"

Both girls giggled nervously and acted like they weren't paying attention.

Buttercup moved to stand, but Ace glanced down. "I mean it. You don't deserve any less."

She nodded and he smiled, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

**A/N**

***sniffles* Bubbles is right: that is SO sweet! **

**O.O**

**Oh.. *wipes away tears* a-anyways! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I thought it was very sweet! And for those of you wondering, no she is not betraying Butch. She still loves him clearly, but just like Ace said, she just wants the pain to go away. Poor Buttercup. Chapter 8 will be up soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N **

**PLEASE READ!**** I am SO sorry! My computer was supposed to update this chapter but added a completely different story! I sincerely apologize :(. I don't know why it has been doing this so much lately. It is still a Buttercup x Butch story. NOT A BUTTERCUP x ACE! I know I probably confused you like crazy but this is the real chapter 8. **

**Again, I am so sorry for wasting your time with that D:**

**Here is Chapter 8! Enjoy fellow readers :D!**

Butch leaned on his arm as he peered out the shattered glass of the window which stood at the top of the abandoned apartment building. He hadn't seen Buttercup in so long, save for the few times she occasionally flew by the apartment unknowingly; he really missed her. "When can I leave?" he asked.

"Whenever I don't need you anymore," Princess spat.

"You do realize that my brothers will begin to wonder where I am, right?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that," Him smirked. "They have barely even mentioned you since your disappearance. You are not of importance to your family or Buttercup. In fact, she is happier now than ever! Didn't you see the way she is always looking at Ace?"

"Shut up," Butch replied lowly.

"Does the truth hurt?" Him taunted. "Unfortunately, it is something you have to face; you have lost Buttercup!"

Butch clutched his ears. "Stop trying to make me doubt myself or my brothers. I know them better. And I know Buttercup doesn't love him! She told me herself. He is just some guy from her past."

"Perhaps. But this was before you broke her heart, yes?"His eyes widened and he stared at Him who wrapped an arm around him in mock-sympathy. "Oh, poor little Butch. Don't worry, child. Your pain will end soon. Soon, that mean, ole' Buttercup will no longer be a problem for you..."

Butch pushed him away. "No. Buttercup means everything to me. And I will not let you harm her. We had an agreement! I do what you want and you stay away from her."

"Why do you love her so much?" Him asked. "Even if you do manage to return to her, she will no longer love you. You made her cry. You abandoned her when she needed you most. You hurt her, Butch…"

"I didn't mean to," he sighed. "Besides, it's all your fault anyways. You and that spoiled brat!"

"Hey!" Princess intervened. "Who are you calling a spoiled brat?"

"You." Butch stood and balled his fists. "I swear when this is all over, I am going to tear you apart. And face it, Princess: you will _never_ be a Powerpuff Girl. Your daddy may buy you everything you want, but he could never purchase a decent person. And you are far from it."

She squealed with rage, "Oh, you—you! Just you wait! I will destroy those measly little brats—"

"And then what? You think everyone will love you and make you a Powerpuff Girl because you destroyed the originals? Everyone will hate you. They love the Girls and you could never replace them. You will just be a _copy_."

The word rang in her head till she screamed with anger and snapped at Him. "It's time for Phase two!"

Him chortled in his demonic voice, "I'd thought you'd never ask!" He waved a claw and a cloud surrounded Him and Butch. Butch glared up at Princess in time to see her waving and sticking her tongue out. "What's going on?" he asked. "What's happening?"

"Don't be afraid," Him smirked. "I am merely letting you visit your little girlfriend."

He stepped forward, afraid to get his hopes up. "Buttercup?"

"But of course! I have a soft spot for romance too!" He chuckled darkly. "At least, for the end of romance," he mumbled, out of Butch's hearing. They appeared in the carnival, directly behind the group. He sneered when he saw Ace and the Gangreen Gang, but smiled when he saw his brothers and the Girls. Then he saw Buttercup.

"Buttercup!" he called, tripping over his steps as he ran towards her. "I thought I'd never see you again! You've got to believe me, I didn't mean—Huh?" Each time he tried to touch her, his hand fazed right through. He glanced pitifully up at Him who shook his head.

"They cannot see you or hear you. They don't even know you are here."

"So none of this is even real?" he breathed.

"Oh, this is all real," Him smiled. "I just made it so that you can see them and hear them but they cannot you!"

Butch sat on his knees and watched as they began walking away. His eyes remained on her…

Buttercup was utterly surprised that the carnival was not already closing down as she peered at the clock tower which read midnight. She glanced all about, yet she could see no other attractions that they had not already visited. She shrugged. "I don't think there is much else we can do here. Guess we go home now."

"Wait," Bubbles giggled. "We haven't been on that ride!"

Buttercup squinted and scowled. "The tunnel of love? Isn't that where you ride those swan boats with your girlfriend or boyfriend on some glittery river filled with oversized hearts and sickeningly sweet flowers and whatnot?"

Blossom and Bubbles nodded in a daze, daydreaming already. Without a second thought, they dragged Brick and Boomer towards the ride. The Boys gulped fearfully.

"Girly-girls," Buttercup huffed. Ace smiled, but peered at her, concerned, when her hand jerked up to her head. She swayed slightly as she began to feel dizzy and cloudy-minded. He called her name; it sounded so distant. She shook her head. "I'm fine. I must have just had too much excitement today." She smiled and began turning to face him. "So, what do you wan—" But when she looked at him, Ace saw her eyes drop wide and raised an eyebrow when she stared.

"Um, Buttercup?"

She blinked, clearly in a daze, and grasped his hands. "Why don't we join them?"

"Huh?" he asked, Buttercup tugging him towards the Tunnel of Love.

"It'll be fun!" she said quickly before dragging him off. They disappeared under the arch of the entrance and Butch gasped. Facing Him questionably, Butch watched Him begin to chortle evilly.

"What did you do to her?" Butch growled slowly.

Him sniggered and pointed. "Let's just say I made Ace a little more appealing in her eyes!"

Butch backed away, shaking his head. "W-What do you mean?"

"I am going to make Ace everything she wanted you to be. At least, that is how it will appear to her!"

"You put her under your spell!" he hissed accusingly.

"Just a little mind control!" Him smirked. "Step two, actually…"

"Your disgusting!" Butch yelled, tackling him. But he fell through and sputtered, glancing back at Him.

"You think you can harm me?" Him said. "That's cute." He abruptly bent over and ripped Butch off the ground by his hair. "Don't push your luck with me, boy!" His voice deepened to a monstrous growl. "I may not have hurt you before, but that was because I created you. Don't think that I won't kill you, though!" **(A/N: I know Mojo created the Rowdyruff Boys, but in the episode Custody Battle, Him claims to be their main care-taker because he made the Boys appear as they did with the new hairstyles and meaner attitudes.)**

Butch struggled to free himself as he panted, "Him? Y…You seem…"

"Stronger? Funny you should mention it. I am," he roared. "And it's all because of that spoiled Princess."

"How is she making you more powerful?"

"Don't you know? Evil feeds off of greed and misery. And while she supplies the greed, you provide me with misery each time you think of Buttercup."

"That's why you partnered up with Princess!"

"True, true. But that is not important right now." His temper changed and he smiled, casually dropping him to the ground. "Now why don't we watch the show? That is, you losing Buttercup! Shall we?"

**A/N**

**Wow, Him was actually pretty creepy in this chapter O.O Oh, who am I kidding. Him is always scary! **

**When he grabbed Butch by the hair, I was thinking, "No! Not by his awesome hair!" Lol what can I say? The dude has cool hair XD**

**The next chapter will certainly be filled with drama, if you couldn't tell by the ending! Thank you for reading and Chapter 9 will be up soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

**Geez, after that whole mix up with Chapter 8, I was a little afraid to even update the story :l. Stupid tech problems. Anyways, here is chapter 9. Enjoy.**

Buttercup and Ace were waiting in line for the Tunnel of Love while Butch watched from a distance. Ace was staring ahead when he felt something wrap around his arm. It was Buttercup. He opened his mouth to speak when she said, "I can't wait till it's our turn."

"Um, yeah. Me too." He could not help but to notice her odd behavior. One minute she was completely fine and then the next, she was flirting with him. _Chicks are so confusing_, his mind said as he watched her closely. Blossom and Brick were already floating down the stream in their swan-shaped boat. Boomer, being a gentleman, held out his hand and let Bubbles into the boat first. Ace was simply on autopilot and helped Buttercup into the boat, minding her footing so that she did not trip. She ran a hand down his arm and smiled a thank you. His eyes fell wide and she giggled at his surprise. Shrugging it off, he took his seat next to her and the ride began.

Butch sighed. He did not appreciate the fact that his girlfriend was touching some guy, but at least she had no idea what she was doing and Ace didn't seem to return the affection. Pushing past Him, he muttered, "Let's just get out of here."

"Ah, ah, ah. We haven't seen the best part yet," Him sneered. He waved his claw and they appeared within the ride on the sidelines of the stream. Butch could hear Buttercup's laughter echoing through the dim tunnel and groaned. Squinting, he saw Blossom and Brick's boat appear first. They were kissing. He gagged audibly, seeing that they could not hear him anyways. Next was Boomer and Bubbles. They were nuzzling noses and giggling madly which caused Butch to turn a green color and puke into the stream. He wondered if his vomit would be invisible to them too or if Bubbles and Boomer would just see it appearing out of nowhere. Apparently they _could_ see it. Bubbles yelped and pointed.

"Is that…puke?" Boomer asked curiously.

"Eww," Bubbles whimpered.

"Cool!" Boomer exclaimed, leaning closer for a better look. Bubbles pulled him back.

"You are such a boy!"

"But I'm a cute boy," he chirped. She smiled and nodded, initiating yet another nose nuzzle. More puke appeared out of nowhere. "This ride sure has strange effects," Boomer pointer out, Bubbles nodding in agreement.

And then, Buttercup and Ace arrived. Ace had his arm draped loosely around the head of the boat. Buttercup leaned back and lay against him. Ace cleared his throat nervously and tried to slip away easily, but she moved over even closer. "I'm having a wonderful time, Ace."

He nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Me too." He couldn't wait for the ride to be over. Don't get him wrong. Buttercup was beautiful. He was even beginning to wonder if he was falling for her. But she was off limits. True, she and Butch were no longer dating. But she still had feelings for him. That much he could tell for certain. And no matter how much he wanted to aim at a relationship, he couldn't put her through that confusion or pain; he _wouldn't_ put her through that. He was aware of how hard it could be when you are forced to choose between two people. Plus, he had a feeling there was more to the story then Butch simply getting annoyed with the fact that she had worn a pink dress and had become ladylike. The Rowdyruff Boy would have laughed at the fact that her sisters had managed to get her, above all people, into a dress. Something was definitely amiss. So he kept his distance. At least, he tried. She was making it more and more difficult with each passing second.

By the time their boat was passing the waterfall, she was practically on top of him. Ace attempted to remove her gently, though it did not work.

"Is everything alright?" he finally asked.

"It is when I'm with you," she sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Listen, I know—" But she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"Ace, there's no need to talk…" Butch shook his head as he listened to her. Suddenly, he noticed the words she was saying were being repeated. Turning, he realized that as Him said something, Buttercup repeated exactly what he was saying. He was controlling her completely. He faced Buttercup and continued to listen. "I'm not dating Butch anymore so nothing is holding us back. We can be together."

Ace lowered her hands and shook his head. "You don't mean any of this. You are just hurt."

"But I do mean it," she said, leaning over. "Be everything he could not be," she purred.

Butch gritted his teeth and tears of anger burned his eyes as Him leaned over and let the words echo in his ears.

Ace sighed. "Buttercup—" He tried to say, but she quickly silenced him by kissing him.

"You—!" Butch hissed. He wanted to hurt Him so badly, but he knew that his attacks would faze right through him. So instead of assaulting the instigator, he raced to the aid of the victim. Butch shook his head, sprinting into the water. "Buttercup!" he gasped. "No, please! I didn't mean to. It wasn't my fault! Him and Princess, they set me up. I…I was trying to protect you…" Yet she could not hear him. He grasped the side of the boat and let his head rest on the frame as he watched her hold him.

Ace groaned and pulled away. "We need to stop this," he stated.

"But, Ace—" she moaned seductively. "You said I deserve a guy who knew how to treat me right; one who would tell me how much I am worth to him."

He positioned himself upright and glanced at her. "Yeah I know. So?"

"Do you think I am ugly?"

The question was so random, so blunt that he thought nothing of it as he shook his head and said, "No, you are beautiful. Why?" And then he realized where she was getting at. What he had told her before, the promise he had made her vow; she was twisting his words.

"Tell me you love me," her voice whispered. He stuttered, not knowing what to say. Luckily light poured across them, signaling that the ride had drawn to a close. He got out of the boat as quickly as he could.

"Drat!" Him hissed.

"I guess your little plan didn't work out after all," Butch stated, crossing his arms.

"I wouldn't go as far as that, boy! The night is merely just beginning and there is much time left for me to rip you apart!" His eyes glowed a menacing red. "I just have to set up the stage for another scene," he hummed and facing Buttercup, he smirked. Planting a new idea into her head, Him leaned back and watched his play unfold.

"It's getting late," Buttercup said. "Why don't we start heading home?"

"I agree," Ace whimpered.

She pulled her sisters aside. "Blossom, Bubbles, if you don't mind, I want to walk home with Ace." They blinked in confusion and she sighed. "Alone."

"Oh, okay," Blossom shrugged. "Uh, see you at home, I guess."

Boomer and Brick began walking the Girls home. Ace sneakily stepped towards the Gang and tried to escape, but Buttercup grabbed his arm and dragged him back. "Walk me home?" she asked, blinking slowly, charmingly. He sighed, but agreed to.

Butch watched as the pair exited the carnival. Him floated behind him. "How does it feel to see the love of your life going off with some other guy?" he taunted. "Does it hurt? I certainly hope so."

Butch growled, but stopped. _Wait a minute_, he thought to himself. _Nobody can see or hear me, but Bubbles and Boomer were able to see me puking in the Tunnel of Love. Hmm…I wonder…_

And then he had an idea.

He smirked. _Time to give Buttercup a wakeup call._

**A/N**

**I'll admit, I was laughing so hard at the part where Butch was puking and all Boomer and Bubbles saw was vomit appearing out of nowhere XD Poor Butch ^-^ But that will help him out very soon! You will find out in the next chapter ;D. Wow, this story is longer than I thought it'd be!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**This chapter is mostly centered with Butch messing with Ace's head (lol). But it has a pretty heartfelt moment at the end. I thought it was pretty emotional. Enjoy!**

Butch and Him followed Buttercup and Ace as they walked the empty streets. Butch was deep in thought, waiting for the perfect moment to put his plan into action. All he needed was something he could use, something that he knew would work. But what?

Him detected the lack of protest coming from the Rowdyruff and sneered. "Don't get any ideas," he hissed.

"What's the point?" Butch shrugged. "She's already in love with Ace. There isn't much left for me to do besides watch." He rolled his eyes when Him bought the pathetic speech. He may be hurt by the fact that his girlfriend was all over some guy, but he wasn't about to give up without a fight. He was going to get her back.

Ace glared at the clock tower and groaned when he realized that it was three o'clock in the morning. "Buttercup," he said, "we should really be gettin' you home soon."

"The nights still young," she winked, peering up at the sky. "We have all night to just be together." Leaning against him, she ran a hand up his face. "You and me, alone," she whispered. "Isn't that what you want?"

Ace slid her hands off of him. "I want you to tell me what's goin' on. You're acting different."

Him panicked and quickly replaced her odd behavior with a more convincing demeanor.

"I'm sorry," she said lowly, turning away. "I guess I'm just not used to being so alone. I feel like a part of me has been ripped away ever since Butch left me." She squinted her eyes, but peered back casually to see if he was buying the guilt trip.

"It's really eating at you, ain't it?" He had a feeling something else was up; the very reason being he wasn't all over her, hugging her to give her comfort. Something was definitely wrong…

"It's times like these that I wonder if I should even give love a chance. I mean what's the point? You're only going to get hurt in the end anyways."

It was killing Butch. He had to do something now or never. He scanned the area for something he could use, but there was only concrete for the streets, skyscrapers, and windows. Wait a minute. He grinned, eyeing the windows.

"You've got to take your chances," Ace said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll all work out. You'll see."

She glanced at his hand, moved closer to him, and breathed, "Are you willing to take a chance?"

Ace gulped. The feeling was growing. He wanted to kiss her. From the seductive wave of her curved eyelashes to her smiling lips which called his name, the temptation was growing stronger and stronger. He reminded himself over and over that she loved Butch, not him. He did not know what to do; should he reject her and hurt her even more or give in and kiss her? He glanced above her, below her, around her; everywhere but her. Seeking a way out, he saw something else instead. Though it was far away, he stared at the window of the building standing behind Buttercup.

Was that…writing?

Butch breathed onto the glass once again and used his finger to trace the letters into the vapor. He saw that his plan was working for it had definitely caught Ace's attention. He squinted, lowering his sunglasses as he read the writing. Scribbled across, he saw the message as plain as day: kiss her, Ace. I dare you.

He stuttered, but Buttercup paid no mind as she moved her lips closer to his. He was still gaping at the message when she kissed him. He yelped and peered fearfully back at the letters scrawled across the glass. Right next to them, nails dug into the window and produced an ear-shattering shriek. Whatever or whoever wrote that was angry. And it was probably angry at Ace. Ace cupped her face gently and pulled her back. She shook her head in question, but he simply pointed a shaky finger back at the words. Right as she turned though, the note was scrubbed away.

"What is it?"

"Uh…I-I—N-Nothing, I guess…" He shook his head. "I must just be tired."

"We can go home," she suggested.

"That'd be great."

"You want to sleep at my house?"

"Buttercup!" he scolded. Oddly enough, her lack of innocence embarrassed him. In his eyes, she was still a little girl. She giggled at his shyness and poked his nose flirtatiously. He groaned. _When will this night end?_

They were almost to her house and he couldn't wait for the day to just be over. He could not help but to keep a constant lookout over his shoulder. When they were nearing her street, he heard a squeak from behind and turned to find a car floating in midair. He inhaled sharply and staggered back. Of course, Buttercup paid no mind.

Butch snickered as he balanced the car on his shoulders. True, Ace hadn't made any move towards his girlfriend. Still, he couldn't help but to get a kick out of his reactions each time Butch showed his presence in one way or another. Him growled at Butch and swiped a claw at him, sending him flying back. All Ace saw was the car abruptly drop and a shattered crater appear in the building next to the car where Butch had been tossed.

"Great," Ace mumbled. "I have a girl who switches moods every two seconds _and_ a ghost with a temper."

Butch rubbed his throbbing head. Him stepped up and bent over to his level. "If you think you can win by getting his attention, you're wrong! And don't think you will get away with it." Butch groaned at the pain and Him frowned, extending a claw his way. "Sorry to be rough with you, but a father must teach his son some respect, right?" he snickered.

Butch pushed his claw away and shook his head. "I am not your son." He whispered harshly. "I am not Mojo's son. I have no father. I was just an accident with a predetermined destiny."

"But that's where you are wrong," Him taunted. "You were no accident. Mojo made you for the sole purpose of destroying the Powerpuff Girls. He simply did not know how to make you right. Thanks to me, you are no longer defected."

Butch squinted up at him and blinked. "Defected?" he asked weakly. He knew that he was not like the others, but he never thought of himself as a defect. "I'm a…defect?"

"You are nothing but three simple ingredients, Butch. You and your brothers. Without me, you would still be rotting in the ground all because of some cootie kiss. No worries, though. I stepped in and enhanced you. Now you are indestructible to the common threat. That is, save for me," he smirked.

"You did nothing for me," Butch snapped. "Buttercup was able to see through my messed up life. She saw that I really did have some good in me and she loves me for who I am. Buttercup—"

Him growled and pierced his claw around Butch's neck, slamming him against the wall. "Buttercup! Buttercup! Buttercup! You need to forget her, Butch! Soon she will die and if you don't leave her in the past where she belongs, then you will go down with her."

Butch tried to pry his claw away, but could not. Instead, he gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes shut. "So be it," he whispered.

**A/N**

**Oh Butch…You're going to stick up for Buttercup even in death? That's sweet. I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry if it is kind of moving slow but I am building it up for the story finale which shall come soon! Chapter… whoa! I didn't realize we were this high up in the numbers! Well, chapter 11 will be up soon :D! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

**This chapter shows a sadder side of Ace. But don't worry, Butch is in it too ;D Enjoy!**

Ace had finally gotten Buttercup to go home, now it was time to go home himself. He began to walk away from the Powerpuff Girls' house when he peered back.

Hmm…home…

What did he have to call home? Who did he have to return to? Oh, yes. The shack at the center of the city dump and the gang members. He did not mind the Gang; they were his family. But when he left Buttercup at the door, her father and her sisters were waiting with open arms to greet her. Yet as he paced the empty streets of Townsville and gazed into the soulless puddles which spoke of the absence of those around him, he fell bitter. What was it? Jealousy? Longing? Neglect? Why was it that he could look into the windows of sleeping homes and find smiling children tucked protectively into their beds, but at the same time there were lost children wandering the alleys at night with no one to protect them? Including himself.

With each puddle he passed that spoke of his solitude, he allowed his boot to pierce the rippling fortune which in turn shattered the reminder.

"I don't need a reminder to tell me I'm alone," he had spat over his shoulder at the bleeding, rippling water.

Usually, it did not bother him. He was Ace. Leader of the Gangreen Gang, he was happy commanding his minions to bestow various misfortunes upon Townsville. But lately, it was changing. The world had nearly ended. In a matter of one night, all he knew and had known was so close to ripping apart right before his eyes. Two weeks ago, he could care less each time he caused a young child to cry or robbed a bank blind. But in the period of one night, he had his life changed.

No longer did he spend his nights raiding justice; instead, he often found his time occupied with walks and thoughts.

"I came so close to dying," he said to his reflection in the window of the diner. "What then? I'd look back on my life and actually be happy with it?" He spat at his reflection. "You're full of it," he hissed.

He wanted to walk away, but something was stopping him. He heard talking, whispering. He peered curiously around the corner and squinted. "Butch?"

It was Butch. However, he was not alone. Him was there, peering down and smirking at the Rowdyruff. Ace listened closely.

"There," Him sneered, "you are visible once again and the spell over Buttercup has been lifted."

Butch scoffed. "Yeah, now that she is gone."

"And don't think of getting any ideas either," he warned. "If you take one step near her, I will dispose of your girlfriend immediately."

Butch gritted his teeth. Dispose? He couldn't bear the thought of someone saying that about her. She was not some object you could merely throw away when you were done with it. She had feelings, she was alive. "Don't talk about her like that," he hissed.

"You are pathetic, Butch. You're feelings will be the ending of you, if not your temper." A cloud of red began forming around him. "You may have free roam of the city, but stay away from her or else," he threatened before disappearing.

Butch kicked at the spot where Him had once been and turned, about to walk away. Suddenly, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder and immediately spun around to fight. He paused when he saw Ace. "What're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied. "Where have you been? Buttercup needs you"

"Look, I know you won't believe me, but it's not what it looks like. I didn't just walk out on her. And I didn't—"

"I know," Ace said. "I didn't say she needed you, I said she needs you. Buttercup still loves you, you know?"

"There's so much for me to explain to her," Butch sighed.

Ace pointed over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go to my place. We can talk there without your little friend."

Butch knew he was referring to Him and gasped. "You saw?"

He nodded. "Sounds like there's more to the story than Buttercup knows about. But it's not safe here. We need to leave."

They arrived at the beat-up shack and all eyes were on Butch.

"Niccce to sssee you," Snake smirked.

"We was wondering where you were," Lil' Arturo chuckled.

Grubber blew a raspberry and Big Billy began singing a song about green.

"Alright, alright," Ace said, gathering their attention. "Listen up, guys. I need to talk to little green here—"

"Little green?" Butch crossed his arms.

Ace sighed. "I need to talk to Butch. I need you guys to wait outside the shack for me and keep an eye on things. Let me know if you see anything suspicious or if you see someone comin'. Got it?"

They all nodded excitedly, but Snake frowned. "But bosss. Why do we have to keep an eye on things? Isss sssomething wrong?"

"I'll explain later," he replied. "But it's important."

They fell silent, but slowly stood from their seats and headed for the door. As they neared the exit, Ace grew worried. What if something happened to them? After all, they were his only family.

"You sure about this?" Butch asked, watching as the door slid shut.

"They'll be fine," he said with lying confidence. He swiveled a seat in front of him and sat on it backwards, pointing at the couch for Butch.

Butch explained everything, from Princess to the injection of Chemical X bonders to Him. Ace hardly interrupted, listening closely. Occasionally, he questioned Butch to get the cold, hard facts and found that his story was quite convincing. Why else would he have been seen with Him?

"I know it sounds a little too convenient—"

"I believe you," Ace said, popping open a soda. "You've got no reason to lie about all that. The only problem now is how are we going to protect Buttercup?"

Butch sighed. "I don't know. I've been trying to find a flaw in their plan, but I haven't come up with anything. If only I could get a hold of that remote…"

"Remote?"

"Princess has a remote that controls the Chemical X Bonders. A single push of that button and Buttercup is a goner. If we could that away from her for even a minute, then I know I could defeat them. But as long as they hold her safety above my head, there's nothing I can do."

"First, we've got to think about the villains."

"They aren't a problem," he said smugly. "I could take them out with a hand tied behind my—"

"I'm not talking about defeating them. I'm talking about their profit in all of this."

"Profit?"

"Yeah, what do they have to gain? We both know Princess is a spoiled brat that wants to defeat the Powerpuff Girls so that she can become one. But what about Him? It can't be as simple as that. Could it?"

Butch shook his head. "He's just using Princess. He said so himself. He feeds off of her greed and my misery. It gives him more power."

"So if we cut off his resources, he would be weaker?"

He sighed. "If only we could find a way to separate Him from Princess. Princess is so spoiled it would probably destroy Him instantly."

"Hmm," Ace said. "I wonder…"

Just then, they saw a flash of light shine through the cracks of the door and walls. Following the beam, they heard a loud crash. They both stood and flung open the door. Ace gasped. The Gang was on the ground, unconscious. Their skin was covered in soot and ash and all around them, a fire raged. Him sneered, floating out of the midst of flames. "Gathering help, are we, Butch?" he growled.

Ace raced over to his friends, falling to the ground beside them. Snake coughed and squinted. "Bossss…?" His head fell limp to the ground. Ace shook his head and glared up at Him.

"You!"

"Oh, that was your family wasn't it?" he taunted. "My bad!"

Ace shook with anger and balled his fists. "You stay away from them!" he yelled, a tear escaping his eyes.

"Ace, don't!" Butch said, stepping in front of him. "He's trying to make you angry so that he can feed off of it."

"True, true," Him smiled, floating up. "You're learning my ways quickly, Butch. Could it be that evil runs in the family?"

"I am nothing like you," Butch replied.

Him smirked. "So sad that a perfect little minion such as yourself has to go to waste. That pathetic Princess only wants to destroy the Powerpuff Girls for power. What she doesn't realize is that as soon as she has fulfilled her task, she will no longer be of use to me."

"You don't need Princess' help. You could do it alone so why bother with her?"

"I am simply using her to drain as much greed as I can. Once she has completed the task of ridding the world of the Powerpuff Girls, then I will dispose of her. If I keep her around, she will be nothing but a nuisance."

Butch peered back at Ace who remained by his friends' side, glaring down bitterly at their motionless bodies. He glanced back at Him who cackled. "You're trapped, Butch. You thought this mongrel could help you?" he laughed, looking at Ace. "My, my, you are getting desperate!" Butch backed away as he saw Him growing. He laughed wickedly, his claws pinching the air. His voice grew deeper and more monstrous. "Now it is time to end this!" he roared, raising a claw.

**A/N**

**Things are getting good ^-^ I feel so bad for Ace. If you think about it, it is no wonder he was a villain. I mean, from the PPG series, it didn't look like he really had a family besides the Gangreen Gang.**

**Also, I apologize if there were any grammar mistakes. I have been busy tonight cause I also typed an Invader Zim story called Redeeming a Reason. It actually turned out very nice if I have any IZ fans. **

**I hope you liked it and chapter 12 will be up shortly! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

**I was extremely tired when I wrote this, but hopefully it turned out alright. Pretty sad chapter actually. It is basically about how Buttercup is holding up. Enjoy!**

Buttercup was lost. Him had finally released her from the mind-controlling spell he had placed over her, leaving her to wake in unfamiliar surroundings. Though it should not have been unknown to her for it was merely her own bedroom, she fell into an immediate state of confusion and fear. But soon, her eyes swept across the room and took in the comfort known as her home. All at once, she was calm.

And yet, she remembered.

The memories, the pain, the break up; it all flooded back and attacked her with full force. So there she sat in the corner of her room, cradling her head while she rocked herself silently. Why was it hurting so much? Butch had long abandoned her, she told herself. The pain should have already left. Yet it remained.

And so came the opportunity for insomnia to sneer as it slipped a shocking hand into her mind, forbidding the entrance of rest. She stared up at the ceiling with a hand balancing her head. Each light that flickered across caught her breath. Though they were merely rays of light greeting her within the passing of a split second, with each flash it brought forth memories. Memories of him. She then smothered her agonized cries within the cushion of her pillow to drown her sorrow. She pushed away the idea of waking her sisters. She was a loner. Always had been. She did not need them. More importantly, she needed no one. No…

She needed Butch.

"But he's not coming back, is he?" she whispered, a tear bitterly etching the side of her face as it crawled down her cheek.

She found it odd that she did not remember the past hour. It was nothing but a faint blur poking her mind, begging for her to remember. Yet no matter how hard she tried to recall her doings, she always came up empty-handed.

Bending down by the sill of her window, she counted the stars and sighed at their beauty. The peace found in the midst of their light was an envious longing of her heart. He was not coming back. Life was not a fairytale. He would not come riding back on an ivory stallion with a smile to cure her ache. He would not whisk her away into the sunset. And they would not live happily ever after.

She needed to move on. This much she knew for certain. But he was so different. She thought he was the one. A match made in heaven, not like the rest; would he plague her for the rest of her life?

She scooted onto the spongy fabric of blankets and watched the clock tick by. Finally, her eyelids slid shut with the weight of exhaustion, but that did not necessarily mean that peace was of the residents in her mind. Tossing and turning, she moaned in anguish. The nightmares took a turn at stabbing at her tender fragility, sneering in mockery at the mere writhing of her unconscious, morbid state.

Bubbles sat up in bed and watched her sister, listening to her moans and groans. She crawled over, placed a hand onto her leg, and lightly shook her. When Buttercup sat up, she assumed she was awake as she whispered, "It's okay. It was just a dream." But she soon found that she was not awake, the evidence clear in her distant eyes.

"It shouldn't hurt this bad," she shook her head. "He's just some guy. Right?"

"Buttercup—"

"Right?" she panicked.

Bubbles glanced back at Blossom who remained asleep and sighed. "I think you fell in love, Buttercup. And when you really love someone and they go away, it's not easy to get over them. It may hurt for a while, but you'll see. It'll all get better."

She leaned into Bubbles arms and whimpered, "I want it to stop hurting now."

Bubbles grasped her face and turned her so that she was looking into her eyes. She moved her messy hair away from her eyes and tried to smile for her miserable sister. "You're still dreaming," she reassured.

"No," Buttercup shook her head. "He's gone. He's really gone… It's not a dream. Life isn't a fairytale…Nothing but a…nightmare…" She reached over to the nightstand beside her bed and retrieved a mirror. When the two looked into it, they saw separate images; Bubbles saw Buttercup, Buttercup saw Butch. "He won't leave me alone!" she said, moving to throw the mirror. Bubbles quickly snatched it away and placed it on the ground.

Never before had Buttercup seemed so small. Bubbles was used to being the one who needed comfort, the one who had to have her tears wiped away. Yet tonight, she was the one to hold Buttercup, the tough one.

"It'll get better, Buttercup," she said, stroking her hair.

Slowly, she began to wake up. It took a while but for the whole duration, Bubbles was there to hold her. Finally, after remaining silent for quite some time, her eyelids swooped open and she blinked in confusion. Bubbles explained where she was and reassured her that it was okay, that everyone cries after Buttercup apologized profusely.

"I just don't understand why it is still bothering me," she said, swiping the tears away.

"It only happened a few days ago," Bubbles reminded her. "You've got to give yourself some time to heal. I know if something happened with Boomer, it would take a long time for things to go back to normal."

"Ace said something seemed suspicious. Like it wasn't quite right. I don't know if it is wishful thinking, but do you think that…maybe…?"

Bubbles hugged her sister before scooting off the bed to return to her own. "You never know. All I know is that it will work out and you will find the right one. Just give it some time," she smiled.

Buttercup nodded and waited for Bubbles to fall asleep. She then returned to the window and gazed out. Sighing, she knew that Bubbles was right. There was time for happiness and joy, but there was also time for pain and tears. So she let it come. She allowed herself to place her head onto the window sill and this time, she let the tears come. She did not fight it.

"Butch," she said, weeping.

Across town, Butch fell to the ground and immediately had Him's claws pierce around his neck. He gasped in pain, clearly hearing Buttercup whisper his name. He reached a shaky hand towards her house which sat in the distance. A tear escaped the corner of his eye as he gulped air.

"I love you, Buttercup…"

**A/N**

**Aw, Butch! You've got to tell her yourself! You better stay alive to tell her! **

**Listen to me! I'm the writer of the story and I act like I don't know what's going to happen XD I hope you liked it! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

**I was actually happy with the way this chapter turned out. I thought the characters were very in-character. Enjoy!**

Boomer sighed and stood, walking across the abandoned video game shack. His movement caused Brick to wake. Brick groaned and groggily swept the sleep from his eyes. He raised an eyebrow at his brother. "What are you doing?"

"Where do you think Butch is? It's been days since we've last seen him."

Brick jumped onto his feet and shrugged. "You know Butch. He's gone away for days to explore before. I'm sure he's fine."

"But what if—" Though, Boomer was quickly interrupted as a large explosion shattered the silent night. They turned to find a cloud of smoke forming in the air. "What was that?"

"It seems to be coming from the city dump," Brick observed, ready to fly away. "Let's check it out."

Butch rolled across the ground and smacked into a wrecked car. Blood dripped from his mouth and temples while bruises and cuts stained his arms and legs. Struggling to stand, he scanned around in search of Him. A soulless cackle stung his ears and came from all directions. He could not tell where he was until a claw swiped him in the back of the head, throwing him across the dump. He flattened his palms against the ground and glared up at him.

"Look at you," Him scowled. "You are pathetic. You let this happen, Butch. You allowed me to hold some girl over your head as blackmail. Now you must suffer for your weakness."

"She's…she's not some girl," his raspy, weak voice replied. "She means everything to me." He collapsed to the ground. Never before had he been so close to dying. He could feel death tapping a claw against his heart; a morbid predestined truth in which there was no escape. If this was to be his last day, he wanted to spend it with Buttercup, or at least get to see her one final time. Even if it was for but a moment, he wanted to say something, he needed to.

He needed to tell her he was sorry.

He hadn't meant a word he said that evening. She looked gorgeous in the dress, even if she hated pink. And no matter what, he would always love her. But as he saw Him approaching with murder burning in his eyes, that wish dropped dead. So he squinted his eyes, no longer possessing the strength to fight or flee.

It all happened at once. A flash, a scream, a thud; his heart stopped. Though he felt his body stiffen, it relaxed, completely drifting into silence. And when he opened his eyes, he gasped. Was he dead? The blaring light flickering in his eyes blinded him so that he could not tell.

"….Butc—…Wake…Come on….Butch!" His ears pounded and he could not make out the voice calling to him. Was he meeting his maker? Wait. Why did the voice sound like…

"B…Brick?" he groaned slowly.

"Get up man! You can't die on me now," Brick said, hoisting his brother onto his shoulders. "You still owe me twenty bucks!"

"I-I'm not…dead?"

"'Course not. But you will be if you don't hurry!"

Butch, Boomer, and Brick all ran behind the safety of Ace's shack in time to avoid Him's attack. Him chuckled. "Oh, look! The whole family is here. How delightful! Now you can witness my true power!"

"This guy is nuts," Brick sneered.

"We need the Powerpuff Girls!" Boomer whimpered.

"Get Ace," Butch wheezed. He pointed at the shack. "I told him to take his gang and himself in there."

Boomer kicked the door open to find Ace kneeling beside his friends. He shook his head and stared distantly down at their bodies. "I should have never let them guard the place," he said lowly. "It's all my fault."

"We need your help!"

He shook his head. "What can I do? I've done enough," he growled, glaring at his friends. "If it weren't for me, they would still be—" His voice cracked and he was unable to finish.

"Ace, please," Boomer said, sitting beside him. "We need to end this before more innocent people get hurt. While Butch, Brick, and I hold Him off, we need you to get the Girls. We can't do it without them."

Ace slipped a quarter out of his pocket and held it between two fingers. "We used to go to the mini-mart to play video games." He squeezed the coin tightly and frowned. "Guess we ain't going to be doin' that anymore, huh?" He placed a quarter in each of the gang member's hands, closing their fingers around it protectively. "Goodbye guys," he whispered. He stood and his eyebrows fell into hatred. "Keep Him busy while I go get the Girls. We are ending this. Tonight."

Boomer nodded and flew out to his brothers while Ace slipped out the back door and headed towards their house. All the while, he could hear explosions and blasts emitting from the dump which only drove him to walk faster. When he finally arrived at the Girls' house, he tried the door first. Of course, it was locked. Fearing that picking the lock would make him appear to be a burglar, he scooped up a handful of pebbles and chucked them at their window. After a few clinks and thuds, the light flickered on. A groggy Bubbles appeared at the window and peered down in confusion. "Ace?" she squeaked sleepily, yawning. "What are you doing here?"

"Guys, I need your help. _We_ need your help! Him has gone nuts, even more so than usual, and he is about to kill your boyfriends. We need to get down to the city dump right now!" Blossom and Buttercup joined Bubbles' side and listened to the story. "If we don't leave now, Butch may not make it."

"Butch?" Buttercup whispered.

He nodded.

Buttercup was the first to slip into her dress, Bubbles and Blossom watching with shock at the swiftness of her movement. She was even the first out the window. They flew low to the ground, talking to Ace the entire time. He explained everything, from Princess to the Chemical X Bonders. Buttercup gasped. "That's why he broke up with me?"

"Yeah," Ace nodded. "And he couldn't tell you 'cause if he did, Princess would kill you. Princess and Him teamed up to destroy you guys, but Him is really just using Princess."

Buttercup growled. "Wait till I get my hands on that spoiled brat! I'm going to—"

"Buttercup, wait!" Blossom said, holding her back. Buttercup glared back.

"You heard him! There's no time to wait! We need to destroy them now!"

Blossom sighed as her sister continued to struggle and curse in her grip. "If we just dive into battle without a plan, then we may all end up dead. We need to think this through and develop a plan."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" she questioned impatiently. "It's not like we can sit around and talk to each other to sort this out!"

Blossom tapped her chin. "Maybe we can…"

"We can?" Bubbles chirped.

"We can?" Ace asked in disbelief, sliding the sunglasses down his nose to peer at her questionably.

"We can," Blossom nodded, much to the disapproval of Buttercup who was eager to fight. "And this is how we are going to do it…"

**A/N**

**Ha-ha! Payback! Him and Princess better watch out! Chapter 14 will be up soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**

**This chapter is mostly made up of dialogue, but I think it really ties together a lot of loose ends. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The Girls and Ace weaved their way through the deserted city streets, stopping before the abandoned apartment building in which Princess hid. Blossom turned to the others. "Everyone understand the plan?"<p>

"Not really," they admitted.

"Good! Let's go." They raised an eyebrow, wondering if she even heard them. But as she swiftly entered the building, they followed closely behind anyways. There were many obstacles in the structure alone; some that they would not have gotten through had they not had superpowers. Crumbling staircases proved to be a problem, especially for Ace. Luckily, the Girls were there to carry him up each flight they could not walk up. Wires writhed and wriggled as they cried out from the slashes wounding their corded bodies which remained in halves. They hissed and crackled, sparks flying this way and that. Windows were no longer present and were but a fleeting memory, resting on the ground in shards of glass. Bubbles squeaked as a rat scampered across her feet. "This place is creepy," she whimpered, nearly tripping with fright as they neared yet another shattered staircase.

"We're almost to the top," Ace said, grabbing hold of her hand and helping her climb up.

"Good. 'Cause Princess is going to pay," Buttercup scowled.

"Don't worry," Blossom reassured, "Just pretend this is a dream, okay?"

"Or a nightmare," Bubbles whimpered, shriveling back. She backed right into Ace, squealing fearfully. On instinct, she swiveled to attack but he grabbed her hands and smiled.

"It's just me," he said. "Paranoid?"

"Sorry," she said before yelping when she heard a rat squeak. Ace laughed and looped his jacket around her shoulders.

"You're a lot stronger than you think," he said. "You've fought monsters and beasts bigger than this building. You can handle a rat," he winked.

They continued walking, following Buttercup and Blossom who had gone on up ahead. Bubbles frowned. "But what if I'm not strong enough today? What if I can't beat Him and Princess?"

"I know you'll step up to the plate. You guys always do. At least, you did when it came to kicking mine and the Gang's butt," he chuckled.

"Townsville will be no more if something happens to us." She turned away, shivering at the thought.

"That's such a burden to carry around," he frowned.

She nodded and squinted at the ground. "Every morning I wake up wondering what's going to happen; if I'm going to be returning home at night to see the Professor again or if these villains are going to really win one of these days. It…scares me."

"You're strong, Bubbles. You _and_ your sisters. And I know they'll do whatever it takes to protect you. And I know it ain't much, but you've got me too." She returned his jacket and he nodded gratefully. He tried to smile for her, yet it was hard. Seeing the fear in her eyes, it even made him afraid. Still, he patted her shoulder and laughed when she smiled once again.

She hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Ace."

His eyes followed her as she skipped away, a spring in her step. From then on, whenever a rat crossed her path, she didn't even flinch. Glancing ahead, he watched Blossom and Buttercup. Buttercup was scraping away piles of debris in order to form a new path to Princess so that they could have the element of surprise while Blossom sat on the edge of a slab of concrete. She held a metal pipe in which she used to draw a map in the dirt. He strode over to Blossom with hands stuffed in his pockets, pausing for a moment to look at her. She stopped what she was doing and faced him. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"How you holdin' up?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Of course!" she smiled.

He lowered his sunglasses and eyed her again. Before she could question him, he said once more, "You sure?"

Her face dropped and she shrugged lowly. "I guess as fine as I can be."

"This mess gettin' to ya?" he wondered, taking a seat beside her.

"I'm just making sure I'm prepared. I don't want to leave a single detail out. This time, we _have_ to win. Everyone's counting on it, right?"

Instead of answering, he squinted. "You afraid?"

"Terrified," she admitted, laughing. "But I'll be fine. I've got to be."

"Why's that?"

"Well…" she trailed off, looking at her sisters. "I have to be for them. Leaders have to be strong. Everyone expects them to be brave and flawless, not afraid and clueless. Sure I may be scared out of my mind, but if I always panicked then so would they. Not necessarily Buttercup, but I have to at least be strong for Bubbles."

"You've been scared before?" he asked in disbelief. "Could've fooled me…"

"Of course I have. When the world nearly ended because of that Mojo business, I was terrified out of my mind. And when you came along—"

"Me?"

"I didn't know if you were serious or not," she admitted. "I wasn't sure if you were sincerely thankful for the world not ending or if you were just trying to get close to Buttercup to use her again."

Use her _again_…The memory hurt and he proved it when he flinched at the words. She saw her mistake and shook her head quickly. "Oh, I didn't mean—"

"Nah, it's alright. You're right. I did use her. I just wanted power. I'm not saying I've done a lot of good things in the past, but that was the worst of all. But I swear that's not what I'm doing now." She nodded and he glanced at Buttercup. "I don't know why I talked to you guys that day. I could've changed my lifestyle and appreciated life without saying a single word to you. But I felt like I had to talk to you guys. I _wanted_ to."

"I'm glad you did," she smiled. "You've really helped Buttercup out a lot."

"Yeah…" he nodded, but he found himself lost in the sight of Buttercup. Blossom blinked and looked back at her sister who remained oblivious to Ace watching her.

"Ace?"

He shook his head and looked away. "Yeah, I know," he muttered as if reading her mind_. She's off limits_, he reminded himself. _You know that_. "Don't worry. I'm not going to try anything. She wants Butch and he's the right one for her." He shook his head. "The kid deserves her after all he's been through anyways…"

"Just make sure you don't get distracted during the big battle," she laughed, standing and preparing to leave.

"It' hard."

Blossom turned back and tilted her head. "What?"

He sighed as he glanced at Buttercup. "Loving someone that you can't have." He stood and straightened his jacket. "But she's happy and that's all that matters. Right?"

Blossom looked at the ground.

"Right?" he asked again, like he was unsure himself.

"Are you asking me or trying to convince yourself?"

His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "I don't even know."

She patted him lightly on the shoulder and smiled. "It'll work out."

When she walked away, Ace faced Buttercup. He wanted to talk to her but with each conversation, he grew closer to her. At first, he decided not to talk to her. It would be too awkward. But he changed his mind and walked over, seeing that it would appear peculiar that he had spoken with her sisters, yet had completely ignored her. She threw a rod of iron out of the way, wiped the sweat forming on her head, and smiled at Ace. "Can't get anything done without a little elbow grease, eh?"

"Let me help," he said, grabbing the rods and throwing them out of the way.

"Nervous?"

He laughed. "You stole the question right from my mouth." He shrugged. "A little."

"I'm excited." When he raised an eyebrow, eyeing her as though she had gone mad, she smirked. "What else did you expect? I'm going to make that spoiled Princess and Him pay for everything they have done. Plus I get to see Butch again."

He dropped a pole and it clattered to the ground. He muttered something about being clumsy and bent over to retrieve it, all the while Buttercup glancing down at him. She propped a pole up and leaned against it, waiting for him to finish. "You know, I never got to say sorry."

"Sorry?" he asked, nearly dropping another rod. "For what?"

"I said and did some pretty crazy stuff to you. What I said and that kiss…"

"You were under Him's control," he shrugged it off lightly as though it did not matter.

"But it must have been pretty hard on you," she laughed. "One minute we're just friends, the next I'm trying to take you home with me."

"It wasn't so bad," he said lowly. She stopped laughing and paused, glancing at him. He cleared his throat and began moving the clutter away from the newly-formed tunnel. It was silent. You know, one of those awkward, please-just-say-or-do-something silences.

"Ace," she sighed. "I-I'm sorry—"

He hugged her.

She gasped, but relaxed when he shook his head. "There's nothing to apologize for. I understand that you love Butch and I won't try to stop that. Your happiness is what matters." She smiled and returned the hug. A drop of warmth grazed her shoulder as she felt a hot tear slip from his eye. He laughed bitterly as he wiped it away. He shook his head at her and whispered, "You're one heck of a girl, Buttercup."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**More people wanted Buttercup to end up with Butch (and technically, this is a B x B) so this is basically 'tying things up' for Ace and Buttercup. For all the AcexButtercup fans, I know :( it was sad, but don't worry! I will certainly make more stories about that couple ;D**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**

**The finale is here! I hope you like it! I'll be honest: this is probably my favorite chapter because of the action and emotion. I won't hold you up any longer, just do me a favor: ENJOY! **

They were crawling through the tunnel inch by inch and Buttercup thought it would never end. That is, until she spotted a light at the end of the tunnel. "I see something," she squinted. "I think it's the end. Get ready, guys." Everyone nodded and continued. Sure enough, they peeked out the hole which led into a vast, open room with light pouring inside. The sun had finally risen, dawning the beginning of a new day; the day of the great battle. Blossom shushed everyone and pointed. Standing by a shattered window, Princess scowled down upon the city of Townsville. Muttering beneath her breath, she did not hear nor did she notice as the Girls and Ace stepped up behind her.

"Stupid Powerpuff Girls…They will pay…They think they are so high and mighty with their super powers and laser eye vision and the ability to fly…I'd like to see them last a day in this world without their powers…" She grumbled on and on. That is, until Blossom stepped forward and growled her name. "Look who it is," Princess hissed. "I knew you would show up." She turned to face them and they gasped. She had dark circles plaguing her eyes, the once lively, red hair covering her head was now a tangled mess of jagged strands, and the yellow replica of the Powerpuff Girl uniform in which she wore was holey and tattered.

"Princess?" Blossom breathed. "What happened to you?"

"What happed to me?" she stammered. "What happened to me?" She pointed accusingly. "You happened to me!"

"But what did we do—"

"You think you are so high and mighty with your superpowers and adoring fans. Well guess what, Powerpuff Girls? Without your powers, you would be nothing! The only reason Townsville loves you is because you protect them. But without that, you would be an average girl who is hated by everyone!"

"Sort of like you?" Buttercup pointed out.

Princess squealed with anger. "They just can't see what they are missing out on! I have the looks, the money, and the power while you three cheat life by taking advantage of an accident that gave you powers!"

"Enough small talk!" Buttercup growled. "You're going to pay, Princess, for everything you did to me, Butch, and my sisters!" She shot her fist at Princess' stomach, but Princess gripped her fist and threw her back into the wall. Buttercup groaned, rubbing her head. Still she hopped up and readied herself for another assault. Again, Princess blocked it with ease and sent Buttercup hurtling back. "I don't get it!" Buttercup squeaked with anger. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," Ace said. "It seems that Him gave her a little extra help!"

"This is all your fault," Princess muttered darkly. "You could have let me join your group but no-oo. You had to be stuck up and save all the glory for yourselves!"

"You could never carry the title of the Powerpuff Girls responsibly!" Blossom snapped. "Don't blame us for your incompetence!"

"Incompetence? Incompetence!" Princess' body began emitting a red fog, her eyes burning with rage. "Do you call this incompetence?" She shot an explosion of electricity at Blossom who collapsed on the ground. Bubbles picked her up and shook her head.

"I don't think Princess is all there," she said, glancing at her. "I think she's lost her mind."

Princess laughed and flames of burning electricity shot out this way and that. They barely dodged each attack. Buttercup flew into the air and pounded her hands together, a wave of energy crashing into Princess. Princess sneered and slipped a dagger out of her belt.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles warned. "Look out!"

But she could not move out of the way in time as the dagger dug into Buttercup's arm. She staggered back and watched as blood trickled down her arm. Ace stepped to her side and ripped a piece of fabric from his jacket, attempting to bandage her arm. Buttercup simply gritted her teeth in preparation for the pain and squinted as she ripped the blade from her flesh. Pulling her arm back, she drove the knife through the air straight towards Princess who jumped up to get away. Though, she was not fast enough and it slit through her sleeve and pinned her to the concrete wall. Thankful that it did not hit her, she still tugged at the dagger to free herself.

She was stuck.

Buttercup hopped over piles of crumbling walls and stepped over to her, grabbing her buns of hair and pressing them firmly against the wall so that Princess was forced to look at her. "You're not getting away this time," she growled.

"Buttercup," Blossom stepped forward, worried for Princess' safety. No matter how bad you were, no one deserved the wrath of an enraged Buttercup.

"Don't worry, Blossom," she said, holding her hand up to signal Blossom to stop. "I'm not going to do anything stupid." And then she faced Princess. "But I'm not going to let her get away with this either."

"So now what? You have me stuck to the wall and you think it is over?" she asked. "You're forgetting about my backup," she smirked confidently.

"You mean Him? I hate to break it to you," she shrugged, "actually, no I don't. But Him is just using you. He feeds off of your anger and greed to gain power. And after you would get rid of us, he was planning on killing you."

"That's not true—"

"Why do you think he gave you so much power? He knew you would use it irresponsibly and go mad with it because you are a child. A spoiled child who wants nothing more than to be adored by everyone. Well guess what, Princess? No one will ever admire you! You're too stuck up and spoiled."

"Y-You're lying," she said, shaking her head. "We formed an alliance. Him promised—"

"Him lied."

Princess screamed with anger, cursing and shouting. But soon, she began to cry. "You don't know what it's like," she mumbled. "To always want everyone to accept you for who you are, but constantly having to fight for attention. My own daddy doesn't even love me. Sure he gives me money and stuff, but it's only to keep me quiet. At least you have a dad who cares about you."

Bubbles frowned. "Buttercup, maybe—"

"Don't listen to her, Bubbles." Buttercup said. "She's trying to make you feel bad for her so she can distract us and then stab us in the back. Literally!"

Princess sneered. "You little!" She lifted her hand to send another orb of energy at the Girls, but something zapped her instead. The knife clattered to the ground from the impact, allowing Princess to fall limply to the ground. She groaned, rubbing her head, and peered up at Him. "I-I don't understand," she said.

He chuckled. "I can see that. And what you also don't understand is that the Girls are telling the truth. I _was_ using you!"

"But…But…w-we had an agreement."

He scoffed. "Do you really think I need you to rule the world?" He slashed a hand at her and she hit the wall with a thud, sliding to the ground silently. "Foolish little girl, I merely used you as a distraction while I finished off those pathetic boys!"

"The Rowdyruff Boys?" Ace asked, stepping forward. Him smiled devilishly in response. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup gasped. Their sadness quickly turned to anger and they flew towards him, fists outstretched. He flung a claw back and it sent them hurdling to the ground. They stood and balled their fists.

"Tell me, Girls, how does it feel? To watch everything you love disappear right before your eyes?" He floated as he peered down menacingly.

"We won't let you hurt anybody else!" Blossom yelled, swiping a tear away. "We are going to end this and you!"

"Still fighting even though I destroyed your loved ones?" He laughed before scowling. "Pathetic little humans!" His voice deepened and he began to grow. His eyes turned pitch black, his claws grew sharper, and he now stood towering over the building. "This is the end," his voice echoed with a mind-numbing growl. "Prepare to die!" He drove his fist into the ground, shattering the floor in half. Bubbles fell back from the impact and Him saw his next target. Blossom gasped when he faced her, eyeing her fiercely.

"Bubbles!" she called. Bubbles blinked and looked up in time to see a claw wrap around her. She grunted as she squirmed, but screamed in pain when his grip tightened. "Wait!" Blossom said, landing on the ground. "Don't hurt her!" But he continued and Blossom knew what she had to do. "We…" She sighed and glared at the ground. "We surrender. Just don't hurt her." Him smirked and his eyes glowed. She refused to look as handcuffs clamped around her wrists. Black specks floated around the thick metal and she recognized it instantly. It prevented her from using her powers completely.

"Blossom, no!" Buttercup said, eyes wide. "We can beat him! Bubbles—" She stopped talking as she saw Bubbles fall limp in his hold.

"You're just like Butch," Him hissed. "You can't choose between your loved ones and the desire to hurt."

Buttercup frowned and looked away. "I won't let you beat me," she whispered hoarsely.

"You've already lost," he sneered, glaring at Bubbles who was quickly losing strength in his iron grip. She shook her head and looked back at Ace. "W-We can't lose…" she stuttered. "Ace, we can't!"

He frowned and stared at the ground, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Buttercup," he whispered.

Everywhere she looked, she saw defeat. Blossom stared distantly away as her hands remained restrained in the cuffs, Ace glared at the ground hopelessly, bitterly, Bubbles' eyes begged Buttercup to end the pain, and Princess lay unmoving on the ground, either dead or unconscious; she could no longer tell. Her body shook. Her lip trembled and she extended her wrists into the air, accepting defeat. Bubbles was released and collapsed to the ground, no longer moving. Cuffs appeared on Bubbles' hands. Him stepped towards Buttercup and smiled.

"I am going to enjoy this," he snarled, bending over to her level and smirking. "Admit defeat, Buttercup. Of all the Powerpuff Girls, you were always the strongest, the most stubborn. Now it is time to confess your demise. I am going to tear you down."

Her body shook. She was not afraid so much for herself as she was for the outcome of the situation. If those chains were placed on her, what then? Her and her sisters would forever remain bound by slavery, powerless, or they would be executed. Townsville would die along with all hope. Under Him's control, soon the whole world would collapse. So this was it. Her last moment of true freedom.

This was _it_?

"We can't lose," she whispered. "Townsville will fall." She squinted as she peered at the ground. "But what is there to fight for besides the citizens? Butch is dead. Brick and Boomer are gone. You'll kill Ace as soon as you make sure I'm powerless just to spite me. Soon, the Powerpuff Girls will no longer be alive. What's the point of living? What's the point of living if everything you love is gone?" She glared up at Him. "There isn't one!" She floated and shot towards him, her entire body glowing with a green burst of energy. She faded into a bullet of color and pierced through his center, forming a crater in his torso. He gasped with a growl and staggered back. Clutching his chest, he screamed.

"No, no, no! I cannot lose!" He cried out in anger as he shrunk in size. He crumbled to the ground and shuttered as his body began to dissolve. "This…this is impossible," he moaned, his eyes slowly shutting. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I took it away. I took everything you loved away." He glared at Buttercup and spat, "Butch is dead. How did you…?"

Buttercup lay on the ground, panting faintly. Ace rushed to her side and sat on his knees, grasping her hand tightly. She used too much of her power and simply stared up. She shook her head at Him. "You just don't get it, do you?" she muttered. Tears traced the outline of her eyelids as she formed the words slowly. "Butch _is_ dead, but you can _never_ take him away from me."

Ace watched as Him faded into ashes, floating away in a haunting breeze. "Good riddance," he hissed. The cuffs trapping Blossom and Bubbles faded when Him died. Blossom went to Bubbles' side and helped her to stand. Ace sighed down at Buttercup and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I love you too, Butch," she whispered.

He frowned, but suddenly something caught his attention. Blurs of color flew off in the distance, heading straight towards the abandoned apartment building in which they were in. Ace stood in front of her and was ready to defend her when he saw them. "Guys?" he breathed. "I thought you were dead!"

Brick and Boomer laughed, Brick crossing his arms smugly. "It takes a lot more than some psycho maniac to beat us!"

Butch pushed passed his brothers and ran to Buttercup, Ace stepping back to allow them privacy. She opened her eyes and gasped. "B-Butch?" Her eyebrows fell and she shook her head. "I thought…He told me you were dead…?"

"He thought I _was_ dead," he smiled. He picked her up onto his lap and smoothed her hair back before kissing her. Behind them, Blossom squeaked excitedly before she too was kissed by Brick. Boomer ran with arms wide open, but crossed his arms childishly and frowned when he saw Bubbles walk over to Ace. "He deserves a thank you too," she smiled, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He laughed.

"Told ya everything would turn out alright," he smiled. He chuckled lightly when he saw Boomer scoop her up in his arms protectively, kissing her while glaring at Ace as if saying, "Look what I'm doing!" Bubbles giggled and tackled Boomer to the ground, Boomer landing with a thud. Ace went wide eyed as he watched her kiss Boomer fiercely. He stepped away shyly, minding the young lovebirds.

Butch hugged Buttercup tenderly, pulling her back to peer into her eyes innocently. "Buttercup, I swear, everything I said and everything I did—" But she silenced him with a finger to the lips and shook her head.

"Ace explained everything. I'm not mad."

Butch frowned uncertainly. "Are um…you and him…anything more than…just friends?" he sheepishly asked.

She kissed him and smiled. "What do you think?"

He smiled back, though it quickly faded as he peered behind her and his face fell. He grabbed Buttercup protectively and she turned to find Princess standing up weakly. Her hand shook as she slowly lifted it. "You…thought…you could…win?" she groaned faintly. "This isn't over…" She revealed a switch in her hands and smiled insanely.

Butch gasped as he realized what it was: it was the remote that controlled the Chemical X Bonders in Buttercup's body. Before he could take it away from her, she pushed it. Buttercup screamed and doubled over, clutching her ribs. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes and her breath came in rugged draws. Butch gasped, but growled at Princess who laughed insanely. He tackled her, pinning her to the ground. "Turn it off!" he demanded.

"It's too late," she replied. "Once the Bonders are activated, there is no stopping it."

"There must be an antidote! Where is it?" When she refused to answer, he grabbed the collar of her shirt and lifted her before throwing her against the ground again. She groaned in pain. "Tell me!"

She shook her head. "I would rather die. The Powerpuff Girls will finally be finished."

"You're about to die," he threatened. Blossom, Bubbles, Boomer, Brick, and Ace all stood behind him, glaring down at their enemy. She stammered fearfully and gagged when she felt Butch's hands wrap threateningly around her throat.

"Okay, okay! Here!" She reached into her pocket and withdrew an injection that contained a clear liquid with white beads floating within. Butch dropped her, grabbed the injection, and ran over to Buttercup. Ace grabbed Princess by the collar before she could crawl away.

"What do you think we should do with her?" he asked Blossom.

"It wouldn't be right to kill her," she said. "I think the appropriate punishment is letting her rot in jail for the rest of her life, alone with no luxury or money." The last bit caused Princess to gulp.

Butch panted fearfully and apologized to Buttercup before poking her arm with the injection. She twitched slightly at the twinge of pain, but relaxed. He was waiting for something, anything. He was waiting for her to suddenly sit up, gasping life into her body. He was waiting for the familiar smile to return to her face.

He was waiting for her to live.

But she fell limp in his hold. "Buttercup?" he stammered, squinting down at her. He lifted her and her head fell to the side. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of her mouth from the brutal assault caused by the Bonders. He shook her shoulders lightly before his trembling hands gripped tighter and shook her harder. "No, no, no! Buttercup, you've got to wake up!" He moved her hair over and kissed her over and over, stopping for only a moment to look at her. "Come on, come on. Breathe. You've got to be okay. You have to be. Please." But she remained motionless. He pulled back, his eyes wide. His hands fell limp to her sides and he shook his head in a daze." Buttercup, you can't die…"

Her sisters, his brothers, and Ace circled behind him, watching. Bubbles cried lowly and held onto Boomer while Blossom looked away, a single tear trickling down. "Buttercup…" Ace whispered.

Butch kissed her on the forehead and rested his head on hers. "I never got to say I was sorry." His heart cried out in pain as it realized it was losing its other half. It fell to the bottom of his soul and shattered, moaning from the ache.

"B…Butch…"

He blinked, yet pulled away. "Buttercup?"

She groaned and her eyelids fluttered open slowly. She smiled and stroked his face lightly. "I told you," she smiled weakly, "I was never mad."

"Buttercup!" He grabbed her and held her tightly. She smiled and lightly wrapped her arms around him. He caressed her hair with his hand and whispered, "I love you."

**A/N**

**Aw! That was SO cute! I just love happy endings! **

**But man! I thought it was pretty cool when Buttercup ignored the dagger in her arm and simply pulled it out before tossing it at Princess XD I'll tell you what: never mess with an angry Buttercup!**

**I hope you liked the finale! There will probably be a short epilogue just to show you what happens next. See you then!**


	16. Epilogue

**A/N**

**The last chapter is here! –sniffles- I will miss this story, but I had fun writing it and reading your feedback! You guys are awesome! Don't worry though! Lilly Winters is striking again! I am already writing another PPG story! It is called "And they all lived happily ever after?" and it is mainly about Bubbles and, well actually, Ace! It sounds odd now, but check out the summary. I think it sounds really sweet :D. I will probably post it tonight but if not tonight, then tomorrow. **

**Well, enjoy and thank you for reading He loves me, He loves me not!**

Finally, it was all over. He was now able to relax, just stop to enjoy life. And as he cradled Buttercup in his arms, that was exactly what he was doing. They sat on the park bench, ripping pieces of bread apart before tossing it into the slow, steady stream that carried the bobbing ducks. They laughed, the ducks nibbling gingerly at the food. Butch sighed peacefully. "You know, I never knew how great it could feel to simply be alive."

"Sometimes it's nice just to slow down and enjoy life, huh?" she said, smiling up at him.

He nodded and caressed her hair, but paused as he breathed thoughtfully. "It's odd to think that we came close to dying. I mean I always knew it was a dangerous game, fighting crime and whatnot, but it never really seemed possible until it came close to happening."

"It scares you?" she asked with complete curiosity.

"It doesn't scare me to think of dying. That isn't the part that scared me at all. But when I remembered all those things that Him and Princess had made me say to you, and I knew that you didn't know I was sorry," he shook his head, rapping his arms around her tighter, "that is what scared me the most."

"There was a part of me that knew," she said. "It hurt, but I think somewhere deep down, I knew that it wasn't really you talking."

"So what do we do now?" he wondered. "Townsville is safe, but for how long?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But it's going to be different this time. Now, you and I are in control of our lives. And no one is going to mess that up." She kissed him on the cheek.

Butch smiled and nodded over at her sisters. "How're they holding up after that whole mess?"

Buttercup laughed. "Like nothing even happened."

Boomer held Bubbles' waist as she bent over to pet a row of ducklings drifting in the stream. She squeaked and fell, dragging both her and Boomer into the water. Boomer blinked before he too was giggling. Blossom was playing a dangerous game, snatching Brick's hat right off of his head and trying her best to keep it away from him. She didn't last long, though, and was quickly tackled to the ground. He smirked, kissed her lightly, and slipped the hat from her grip.

Buttercup had her eyes closed as she leaned against Butch. That is, until a shadow was casted over the pair. She opened her eyes to find Ace standing over them, hands in pockets and sunglasses perched on the end of his nose.

"I guess everything turned out all right after all, huh?" he smiled.

"Didn't you tell Bubbles that everything _would_ be fine?" she raised an eyebrow playfully.

"For a second there, I needed a little convincing myself," he admitted sheepishly, laughing. "Never before have I been so glad I was right." He turned and Buttercup laughed as she saw Grubber tackle Ace to the ground, licking him. The Gangreen Gang had survived after all. It was the most heartwarming sight, the moment that Ace realized his family had survived. When questioned if she was crying, she replied with a scoff I have something in my eye.

"You're supposed to keep your dogs on a leash!" she called to Ace, referring to the giddy Grubber.

Ace tried to pull away as he nodded, "I wish I would have!"

She laughed. Leaning her head back onto Butch's shoulder, she looked from Ace to the Gangreen gang, from Blossom and Brick to Boomer and Bubbles, and finally, peered up at Butch.

And she smiled.

Sure life had its ups and downs, it's hills and valleys, but for this minute, the very moment she was living right now, she would relive it all over and over again.

That much she knew for sure.

**A/N**

**And I would relive typing this story for you guys ^-^ You are awesome, cool, and (yes I am actually saying the word) EPIC! Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it as much as I liked writing it for you! Be sure to check out the story I mentioned in the Author's Note above! **

**Peace out!**

**Lilly Winters **


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